Where There is Light, There Are No Shadows
by GoTeam
Summary: A/O: life is all about timing. A tough case puts pressure on a new relationship, and pushes everyone to their limits.
1. Chapter 1

She could smell blood long before she saw it. At 3.35 in the morning, it had a tendency to make her feel queasy, a fact that surprised her given the number of times she'd been called out to such a scene at this unfortunate time of day. Feeling envious of all those sleeping, ignorant of the sad sight about to present itself, Olivia Benson squared her shoulders, inhaled deeply, and attempted to clear the fog clouding her mind. Coffee had helped a little, but being woken after an hour of sleep was, she was sure, a form of torture. Dragging herself out of the car, she resolutely stepped forwards, her heels clipping and echoing off the walls of the alley she had entered. It was October, and her breath fogged slightly as she drew her scarf around her, glad for some fresh air to keep her senses sharp. Ahead, the solid figure of Elliot Stabler turned as he picked up on the sound of her approach; the look on his face saying more than words could ever convey. Olivia felt her stomach lurch and a glance at the eviscerated body at his feet confirmed that they were, in fact, looking at another victim of their serial rapist and murderer. Nine months and now, seven bodies. Seven dead little girls.

"Same MO as the others."

Elliot didn't need to say it – his eyes had already told her – but Olivia could tell that he was trying to maintain a professional facade. This was starting to hit close to home, for both of them but especially for Elliot. She knew that as soon as they had spoken to the ME, he'd go home and check that all of his children were safe. Even if it meant he'd get no sleep himself and probably be more irritable than normal at work the next day, Olivia would let it pass. She nodded.

"Do we have a name?"

"Not yet." Elliot turned, striding away and Olivia knew that he'd seen enough.

She knelt down, lifting the sheet and mentally cataloguing the injuries she could see, guessing at what Warner would soon be telling her. _Drugged, raped, strangled, and missing the ring finger._ For some reason, their perp also enjoyed cutting his victims open afterwards. Even Huang wasn't sure why this would be – since the killing seemed to have been planned and carried out methodically, such a violent act was unusual. Perhaps he'd gotten angry. This young girl had died a violent death, much worse than the others; a sign that perhaps they'd be called to another body sooner rather than later. Escalation was inevitable and they'd been anticipating it for a while.

She sighed, feeling painfully awake but, at the same time, so very tired. As she made to stand up, her scarf slipped; she cursed as it landed on the corpse, knowing that Warner wouldn't be best pleased. The red wool had draped itself across the blue-tinged skin of the girl's chest, as if it could keep her warm. A pang of sadness, and Olivia replaced the sheet. Suddenly, she didn't really care if she was cold. It was suitable punishment for not being able to catch the sick fuck responsible.

Warner appeared, having been arranging the body's removal; she glanced at Olivia as she noticed the flash of red. However, upon seeing the expression on the detective's face, she decided not to ask how the scarf had got there.

"Would you like it back?"

Olivia just shrugged. Warner was sure she could see pain in those expressive eyes, a sight she wasn't unused to; but she wished the brunette wouldn't take these cases so personally.

"I'll give you a call when I know more."

As she walked past, she gave Olivia a quick squeeze on the shoulder, knowing that discussing it would make the detective uncomfortable. Hell, she was also starting to feel the strain of this particular case. Benson looked at her gratefully; a ghost of a smile gracing her features, before turning and heading towards the sedan Elliot was leaning against. Sunrise was still a long way off, but the city was starting to come to life. She watched a van dumping papers outside the convenience store across the street. A 24 hour convenience store...

"Be right back."

She crossed the road, not bothering to check for traffic, and found the owner propped up behind the till, half-heartedly watching CNN. She briefly checked out the shop from where she stood, before clearing her throat. That got his attention.

"Busy night?" she asked, flashing her badge. He straightened, looking at her suspiciously.

"Did you come from across the street? I already told them what I saw."

"Which was?"

"Nothing. Well, a car stopped over there. Maybe...an hour ago. But not for long."

_At least we know that she wasn't murdered there_, Olivia thought. This guy was getting ballsy. Why dump the body where there could be potential witnesses? He'd been getting away with murder – literally – for a while now; perhaps he was bored and needed more of a thrill.

"Any customers around that time?" she asked, ever hopeful.

"Ah, some homeless guy. Always comes in. He's probably asleep 'round the corner."

He was gesturing to the side of the building. Olivia thanked him, stepping out into the bitter air; it was going to be a cold winter. Chances were that her potential witness would have been keeping warm with something alcoholic, just like the tramp who'd been unlucky enough to find the body – and nearly vomit on it – and her suspicions were confirmed when she could hear him snoring. It was that sound which enabled her to locate him, huddled under a pile of newspapers and old clothes. Given the deep sleep he seemed to be enjoying, it was unlikely that he'd have noticed anything; it took her the best part of five minutes to wake him up and actually make sure that was the case.

Finally returning to the car, she decided that sleep was not going to come any time soon. This was going to be one hell of a week.

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Across town, Alex Cabot was thinking the exact same thing. Her workload had pretty much doubled in the space of 48 hours, and as she motivated herself with the thought of lots of strong coffee, she attempted to find her keys. Running late was something she didn't do, but she'd been caught off guard this morning; those extra 'five minutes' had turned into twenty, and she had bolted out of bed as soon as she'd realised the time. _Not that you'd know it's morning...it's so dark outside._ She disliked winter mornings, though the urgency of her departure meant that at least the cold outside the haven of her bed hadn't been offputting. Quickly brushing her teeth, she decided she could risk a stop for coffee on the way to work.

She realised the error of her logic once she saw the queue inside.

_Ah, bingo._

Alex spotted the familiar cropped hair of Detective Olivia Benson towards the front of the line, and edged her way forwards. Lightly tapping the brunette on the shoulder, she adjusted her suit jacket and smiled as the older woman turned.

"Morning, Liv."

Benson smiled. She couldn't help it, the sight of the ADA was a very welcome one after the morning she'd had.

"Morning, counsellor. In need of a quick caffeine fix, I take it?" she asked, taking a look back at the queue. Alex had the decency to look slightly embarassed.

"Running slightly late," she said, making a mental note of how tired Olivia looked. "Rough morning?"

"You could say that," Olivia said, her voice quiet. Alex touched her arm, making the brunette look into her eyes.

"You look exhausted."

Olivia shrugged. "Could be that way for a while; we have another one." She didn't need to expand: Alex knew only too well to what she was referring. She gave Olivia a sympathetic glance, knowing that the good detective wouldn't rest until some form of progress was made. She didn't know all the details, but had seen crime scene photos and potential suspects tacked to the board in SVU headquarters; she also knew that Benson and Stabler had given everything to this case, and she worried for them both. Especially the woman beside her.

"I'm getting this, it looks like you need it more than me."

Olivia thought about contesting the issue, but realised she was far too tired to argue. Instead, she thanked the blonde, retrieving her coffee and holding open the door for her as they left the building.

"Very chivalrous detective, thank you."

Olivia knew that Alex was trying to cheer her up, and for that she was grateful. If she was honest with herself, just having the blonde near was enough to make her smile.

"Look, I know you're going to be tied up with this case for a bit, but think you can spare an hour or so this evening? If I know you, you won't even give yourself time to eat. And I can cook a mean lasagna."

The brunette blinked at her in surprise. Sure, they got on well, and would go for lunch – as friends – every so often, but she'd never been to Alex's apartment before. The nature of their work meant that such instances were few and far between, since they were rarely free at the same time. Though she'd often thought about how much she'd like that to change, she had accepted a while ago that Alex probably didn't want to make the same effort.

"That sounds great, you sure you're going to have time?"

"Of course." Alex was lying only slightly. She could spare time if it got Olivia to eat. Though she'd never asked, she was pretty certain the brunette didn't have anyone else to look after her; not that she'd want to know if she did. Alex didn't deal with jealousy well. It had taken her a while to realise that the burning sensation in her gut was the result of such an emotion; and it had taken her even longer to accept the fact that she was possessive over another woman. Now, she didn't question it; merely acknowledged the turbulence and tried to silence it.

"Alright then. Be in touch later?"

"I look forward to it," Alex smiled. "Thank you for getting me coffee so fast, I think dinner is the least I can offer in return."

Turning away, Alex let her smile grow. She knew it was a bad idea to let certain thoughts get the better of her, but she couldn't help it sometimes; besides, the thought having Olivia Benson all to herself for an hour or two made the day bearable.

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As she entered the pen, she nodded to the other detectives already gathered there. Munch looked as spotless as ever, his grey hair neatly combed and cracking a joke with Fin, his partner. Tutola was leaning back in his chair, laughing at something Munch had said, as Olivia entered the room. He tipped his head in the direction of the Cragen's door.

"Cap' wants a word, Liv."

"Already? Where's El?"

"On the phone to Kathy."

Fin's smile dropped at the mention of her partner. Their dislike of each other was mutual, Olivia was sure, but both were thankfully professional enough to not involve her. On occasion she'd had to step in but thankfully these incidents were becoming less common. Munch was looking at her sympathetically, whether because she looked like hell or because she was about to get her ass handed to her, she wasn't sure.

She shed her jacket and keys, throwing the empty coffee cup into the bin on her way past. Knocking twice on Cragen's door, she opened it without waiting for an answer. Donald Cragen was behind his desk, flipping through a folder containing crime scene photos from that morning. He looked as tired as she felt, and she tried to keep her eyes away from the pictures of gore covering the desk. She'd seen enough for one day.

"Take a seat, Olivia."

"I'm okay standing," she said, wanting to be able to get back to work and apprehensive about what he was going to say.

"Please, Liv." He rarely called her that. Sighing, she did so.

"You and Elliot need a break. I've asked John and Tutuola to do some of the groundwork on this one."

Olivia started to interrupt, but Cragen was having none of it.

"You look like hell, I need you on form for this one. Vic's name is Melissa Woodson-"

"Shit." The name rang bells immediately. John Woodson: a defense attorney, he had numerous ties within the police department; he probably knew Alex. She realised why Cragen looked so harried.

Reluctantly, she nodded. Exhaled heavily, and realised just how much the extra help would be appreciated. Olivia could swear she'd aged within the last 24 hours, and the tiredness hit her like a brick wall.

"For the next few hours, I just want you to catch up on some paperwork. Tie up any loose ends on our open cases. Things may be taking a back seat for a while."

Although Olivia had never had a father figure when she was growing up, the way her Captain was looking at her in that moment was just like a worried dad. She appreciated his concern, though she'd never admit it aloud.

"Sure."

She nodded once, and then left the room. As she walked back to her desk, she realised how lucky she was to work with the people she did. They knew her, understood how she worked, often without her expressing how she was feeling. She made a mental note to count her blessings more often, the smell of fresh coffee edging its way onto her list as she accepted a cup from her partner. He looked less stressed than he had done earlier that morning, the result of talking to his wife, no doubt. Olivia's sudden optimism dropped a little as she remembered that she had no such person in her life. Sure, the guys were great, but she was missing something fundamental. Then again, Alex was cooking her dinner later, and though Olivia was sure there was nothing more to it, she could pretend for a while that she was wanted by the gorgeous blonde.

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The blonde in question was nervous. It wasn't a feeling she was used to, being accustomed to speaking in front of juries and judges, debating in front of a critical audience. She was good at thinking on her feet, as the high school debate trophy still sitting on her mother's mantelpiece would attest to. And yet, as she prepared the ingredients for dinner, she could sense a slight tremor in her hands. The blonde had just endured a rather luke-warm shower in an effort to cool her blood; she still couldn't believe what there mere thought of Olivia Benson provoked. Mentally shaking herself, she took a gulp of red wine, feeling her nerves numb a bit at the peppery taste. She'd opened one of her favourite bottles, though she wasn't even sure Olivia liked red wine. _If not, all the more for me...at this rate there won't be any left for her._

At that thought, the doorbell rang. Almost jumping out of her skin, a drop of wine escaping and splashing onto her hand, Alex cursed. Then,

"Coming!"

She was still sucking on her index finger when she opened the door, and for that she was glad. Olivia was looking stunning, her blue shirt tucked into a pair of very flattering slacks, which in turn emphasised the strong thighs and _oh my God, that ass._ Alex briefly wondered if she was drunk, before realising the woman in front of her was looking at her oddly.

"Oh, sorry. Spilled some wine...want some?"

"Sure, sounds great." Olivia smiled, and Alex had to turn before she stared any longer.

"You look a hell of a lot better than you did this morning, Detective, I hope you don't mind me saying." Alex glanced briefly over her shoulder at the woman in question as she made her way to the kitchen. It was her favourite room in the apartment, and she often found herself cooking to relieve the stress of any given work day. Her attache case was lying open on the breakfast bar, a pile of documents neatly stacked next to it. Olivia let out a low whistle at the sight of it, unwilling to bring up John Woodson since Alex was no doubt feeling the pressure as much as the SVU squad.

"You sure you have time to do all of this?" she asked, gesturing towards the work in question.

Alex shrugged. "It'll get done somehow. Don't worry about it," she said, feeling the pink tinge finally fade and she risked a grin at the brunette. "You're my top priority tonight," she added, nudging Olivia towards the large leather sofa in the open plan living room. "Sit," she said, her tone leaving no room for discussion.

"Don't you need any help?"

"Nope. Five minutes and I can stick it in the oven for a while. Wine, yes? This stuff's pretty good."

Never in a million years would Alex let the brunette know just how much that bottle had set her back. She had a feeling it'd cover the majority of Olivia's monthly paycheck.

"I trust your taste. I'd love some." Olivia smiled, feeling thoroughly looked after and looking forward to what the blonde had prepared for her. Alex returned a few minutes later to find the detective reclining, eyes closed, her hands folded across her chest. The attorney allowed herself a minute of guilt-free ogling, before placing the glass down on the coffee table – walnut, her grandmother's – and gently shook the other woman awake.

"Liv," she said, finding the sight in front of her cute to say the least. Olivia mumbled, cracking open one eye, before remembering just where she was.

"Shit, sorry Alex," she said, blinking her eyes in an effort to wake up. "Those were the first five minutes I've had to myself all day. I'm going to blame your couch for being to comfy," she laughed, sitting upright and reaching for the glass Alex had left her. The blonde's hand came to rest on her forearm, and it felt like it was burning through her sleeve.

"If you want to crash for a bit, you can use my bed. You obviously need a rest."

Olivia suddenly felt very awake. Though there was nothing she'd rather do more than see Alex Cabot's bed, using it alone seemed a tad disappointing.

"I'm okay. What kind of guest would I be if I fell asleep on you?" she laughed, her hand working its way to Alex's, laying atop it for the briefest of seconds. Alex's eyes flicked away, and she laughed lightly as she stood up.

"Talking of guests, I do believe this is the first time you've actually been to my apartment...want the tour?"

It took them about twenty minutes just to see every room; Olivia had never seen such a large apartment. Hers could probably have fit into Alex's twice, with room to spare. Her detective's eyes took in every small detail – the framed picture beside Alex's bed, the toothpaste she used, the impressive collection of jazz vinyls – and they all combined to give her a better picture of the woman beside her. Alex let very litte of her personal life slip into work conversation, and Olivia felt like she was being invited to get to know the other woman better. She closed the distance between them as they returned to the living room, sitting close to the slim blonde when they sat down again.

"I must say, you've got the most beautiful apartment I've ever seen," Olivia said, finishing off her glass. _Where the hell did that go..._Alex was already on her second, a light flush gracing her cheeks and making her seem even more beautiful. Olivia realised that she was actually slightly nervous, a fact that in itself made her even more anxious. Then again, Alex was drinking wine like it was water – was it possible that she wasn't the only one experiencing butterflies? _Why on earth would Alex be nervous? _Olivia realised that the woman in question was now openly looking at her, a slight smile tugging at her lips. They sat like that for a minute, before the blonde suddenly stood.

"Dinner," she blurted, walking quickly towards the kitchen.

_What just happened?_

Alex braced herself against the counter, trying to will her heart to stop pounding so damn much. She took several deep breaths before grabbing hold of the oven gloves, the automatic nature of her movements giving her time to collect her thoughts.

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They ate dinner slowly, as if planning their next respective moves. Olivia asked about her record collection and Alex relaxed, since music was a topic she could talk about for hours.

"You play jazz piano? That's amazing," Olivia said, looking suitably impressed.

Alex blushed, uncharacteristically shy for a second. "I'll have to show you some day. I'm not that good but I enjoy it a lot."

"If you play with the kind of commitment you give your job, you'll be pretty damn good," Olivia said, putting together her knife and fork. "You can cook, play piano, you're a successful lawyer...is there anything you can't do?" Olivia teased, collecting the plates. "No, I'm getting these."

Alex sat down again. "If you keep complimenting me like that, my head might just explode."

They talked for a while longer, neither wanting the evening to end but both aware that, as usual, work awaited. Alex tried to forget about the pile of documents behind her – and John Woodson's all-too-apparent absence from the office that day. Olivia would be heading home soon. Alex's good mood dipped. Suddenly feeling like she could do with some company, she decided upon a course of action. Besides, if Olivia's seeming reluctance to make tracks was any indication, her offer wouldn't be shot down.

"Hey Liv...how about you stay here? I just have a bit of paperwork to do, but you're more than welcome to sleep here tonight. Means you can have an extra half hour of sleep." Alex knew it wasn't an unreasonable idea, but she still felt like she was being rather forward. Olivia looked at her for a minute, and Alex wasn't sure what she read in her eyes.

"Sure, if you don't mind that is," Olivia said, not quite believing that she'd agreed. She had a toothbrush at the station, as well as a change of clothes in her locker. Alex's proposal made sense, but for some reason it felt like they were both skirting around some unknown issue. With a start, Olivia wondered what the attorney was implying.

"You can take the bed, you need a good night's sleep," Alex said, and Olivia's heart fell just slightly. _Well, what did you think she was implying?_ _To share her bed with you? Get real, Benson._

"I'll be through once this is done."

Olivia had to struggle to keep the smile from her face.

"Sure. But I can keep you company for a bit longer, if you'd like."

"Great. Thanks, Liv." Alex was busying herself arranging papers, trying to avoid Olivia's gaze as she flushed at the thought of sharing her bed with the gorgeous detective. She handed a stack to the brunette, settling herself into a corner of the couch, with the instruction to put the papers in date order. They worked in comfortable silence for a while. Every so often, Alex could feel a gaze in her direction, and eventually she stopped reading to look up. _Busted._ Olivia was watching her intensely, but didn't look away when Alex caught and met her eyes.

"What?" she said, laughing self-consciously.

"You look so different when you're working. I only ever see you in a courtroom." Olivia's tone was light, curious.

"Oh? And what do I look like?" Alex asked, pushing her glasses to the end of her nose and looking disdainfully at the detective. It had the desired effect, making Olivia laugh. The blonde waited patiently for her answer.

"Beautiful." _Did I just say that aloud?_ Olivia swallowed, her mouth suddenly dry, but refused to look away. She could always just pass it off as a friendly compliment. _Yeah, right_.

Alex took off her glasses, throwing them carelessly onto the papers in front of her. Hitching up her skirt, she semi-crawled along the sofa to where Olivia was sitting, papers in hand. Removing the offending items from said hand, and pausing only briefly to place them on the coffee table, Alex dipped her head to the left and found Olivia's mouth with her own. She was vaguely aware of how awkward her positioning was; more importantly, she could feel Olivia Benson's lips open, inviting her in, and everything else was forgotten. Her stomach gave a little flutter when she heard the other woman moan, and she reluctantly pulled away before things moved too fast.

"Fuck," she exhaled, feeling the firm stomach beneath her move with Olivia's laughter.

"You kiss your mother with that mouth, Alex?"

Alex straightened up, then stood, reaching for Olivia's hand.

"I shouldn't have done that. I still have work to do and now all I can think about is how good it is to kiss you."

Olivia blushed, and ducked her head. "The feeling's mutual." She reached for Alex's hand, kissing the fingertips, then stood to envelope the slim blonde in a close hug.

"I can't believe that just happened," she said, inhaling the scent of Alex and committing it to memory. She ran her hands down Alex's back, grinning as she felt the attorney shudder slightly.

"Olivia..." she groaned, placing kisses along the brunette's smooth neck.

"Oops...sorry," the brunette smirked, looking anything but apologetic.

"I need to finish this damned paperwork and you need to get some sleep. Can we talk tomorrow? I have court in the morning but we could maybe get some lunch?" Alex looked uncertain.

"Sounds like a plan, counselor. Though lunch could be any time between 12:00 and 5:00."

"I can wait." Alex smiled, genuinely happy. "Sleep well."

Olivia took the hint, and with one last brief kiss, resigned herself to the fact that life was going to intrude as it always did. _At least it has something to intrude upon_, she mused, wondering how on earth she was going to sleep tonight – especially since Alex would be joining her later. However, as soon as her head hit the pillow, exhaustion took hold and she was out like a light.

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Of course, respective work schedules proved as frustrating as usual and they didn't manage to cross paths until 7:00 that evening. Plenty of time for Olivia to remember how she'd woken up with Alexandra Cabot wrapped around her, blissfully unaware of the conscious world. Olivia had allowed herself five minutes to observe the beautiful woman, bringing the stored image to her mind at any given opportunity. Unfortunately, the case had competed for domination of her thoughts that day, and the sight of the ADA entering SVU headquarters was a slight shock. _Why wouldn't she be here? Probably something case related._

"Evening, Detective Benson."

If it wasn't for the tone of Alex's voice, Olivia would have thought she was in trouble. Given the glint in those blue eyes, the statement instead sent a frisson of excitement through her.

"Hey, Alex." Playing it cool. She was suddenly aware of her appearance – not that it seemed to matter given the way Alex had been looking at her. "How are things your end?" she asked, referring to the chaos that was no doubt plauging Alex's office.

The blonde sighed, placing her briefcase on top of Olivia's desk. "Rough. How are things here?" she asked, glancing around the room, noting a distinct lack of SVU detectives.

"They're all out chasing leads. I just got back," Olivia said, crossing her legs as she worked a kink out of her neck.

"Anything promising?"

"Hard to tell at the moment. We've all gone solo to try and speed things up, puts a bit of pressure on everything."

"I'll say," Alex commented. "Is Cragen in? I need a quick word."

"Sure, he's in his office." Olivia shrugged one shoulder in that general direction, before wincing as tense muscles protested. Alex's eyebrow raised of its own accord.

"I can take care of that later, if you like?"

"Only if you let me buy you dinner. I can't cook to save myself so just think of it as my version of home cooking."

Alex laughed, and stuck out her hand.

"Deal."

As they shook on it, Elliot Stabler returned to the squad room, looking haggard.

"Hey Alex."

"Hi, Elliot. If you'll excuse me, I have to borrow your Captain for a minute."

With that, the attorney strode off, all business, and Olivia had to make a conscious effort not to watch as Alex walked away. Instead, she took in her partner's appearance.

"How'd you get on?"

"Lousy," he grumbled, shirking off his suit jacket and tugging at his tie. His shirt was crumpled, sleeves already rolled up. "We could really do with a break on this. Sooner or later we'll have another one, but not before we get our asses chewed out over this." He gestured towards a picture of their latest victim.

Olivia could see that picture when she closed her eyes. Could remember the school uniform she was wearing, the way her hair had been styled, the mole on her right cheek. Munch was over at the school now, no doubt working his way through the questioning of teachers, staff, friends. Fin was probably on his way to their vic's swim club right now. Olivia just hoped that at least one avenue would turn up something useful; her day had been filled with medical reports and another visit to Warner's office, while Elliot had been to visit the victim's family. _No wonder he looks like crap._

Olivia's musings were broken by the clip of Alex's designer heels as she left Cragen's office.

"Ready to go, Detective?"

Sparing a glance at her partner, who shooed her with a wave of his arm, she grabbed her jacket and they strode out of the office together. Something told her this would be an enjoyable evening, and for the first time in a long while, Olivia left her worries at the door.


	2. Chapter 2

Across the city, he watched the news and waited. The noise of traffic outside was distracting; the cacophany of rush hour often triggered blinding headaches. Sometimes he took a perverse pleasure in exposing himself to the noise, as if he was testing his limits. Today, however, he could ignore the pain. Sooner or later, his favourite detective would make an appearance: at a press conference, or perhaps even in a brief, hurried interview outside the SVU offices. The last girl had been a risk, he knew, but he'd played it safe long enough. Absent-mindedly, he rubbed at the raised bite mark on his hand, and chuckled as he remembered how much of a fight she'd put up. He'd nicknamed her 'his little Spitfire' afterwards, the first girl that had nearly escaped. She wasn't meant to die so soon, but she was too much of a flight risk. He laughed at the unintended pun, and wondered at his ability to always amuse himself. Just like this little situation he'd created, and which he was currently finding very entertaining. A high profile case meant more media exposure, and choosing a victim from that powerful 'inner circle' of cops and lawyers was bound to set off fireworks. All that was left for the time being was to sit back and enjoy the show.

* * *

The audience burst into a round of applause and Olivia watched as Alex joined in enthusiastically. She couldn't help the smile that emerged upon witnessing the look of sheer happiness on the attorney's face. As the people around them stood and prepared to leave, Alex took hold of her hand.-

"Stay a minute?"

Olivia obviously looked as puzzled as she felt.

"I love being in an empty theatre, if only for a minute or two."

The crowd emptied the auditorium relatively quickly, and despite the ushers starting to check the seats, it felt like they were the only people there. Olivia could start to see why Alex liked the solitude – it was as if she was letting the world pass her by for a minute.

"The only other time it's this quiet is when you're the one on the stage. It's nice not to feel the pressure that comes with it, though."

Olivia nodded in understanding.

"A lot of the time you have an audience, don't you? I can't imagine what that'd feel like."

Alex turned to her, a sad – almost wistful – smile on her face. "It can be the best and the worst thing in the world, all at once." And she kissed her.

Olivia broke off as she became aware of their impromptu audience. Blushing slightly, she took hold of Alex's slim hand and dragged her towards the doors, laughing as Alex realised just why they were moving.

"That's one audience we definitely don't want!"

As if on cue, a low wolf-whistle from the usher at the door followed them onto the street outside. Olivia's breath fogged, and Alex hugged herself as the cold air hit them.

"Fancy a drink to warm you up?" Olivia suggested. Her free time hadn't been so relaxed and spontaneous in a long time, and she was reluctant for it to end.

"As if you need to ask." Alex hoped she could blame the sudden flush of red on her cheeks on the cold night air, but judging by the look on the brunette's face, the attorney knew she was busted.

* * *

Elliot Stabler cracked his knuckles as he stretched his arms above his head. He'd been stuck at his desk for the past four hours, and it was definitely time to call it a night. As he looked around the room, his eyes flicked over his partner's desk and his mind wandered to thoughts of Olivia. She and Alex had become close over the past few months, but today had seemed different – as if they had been sneaking out somewhere. Dismissing the thought – after all, they were good friends – he switched off his computer screen and bade goodnight to the detectives on duty.

He winced as the bitter air seemed to wind him, and he patted his pockets in a futile attempt to find gloves. As usual, he'd left them on his desk, and he decided upon alternative means of warming himself up. Less than ten minutes later and he was in the squad's favourite bar, sipping on a whiskey, which nearly came out of his nose when he saw just who was in the corner. He had to squint a bit to make out Olivia's hand on Alex's thigh, but it was most definitely there. Stabler shook his head and looked again.

"Well I never..."

Chuckling, he downed the rest of his glass, and left. Even if he'd walked right past them, he doubted they would have even noticed him. _Definitely something to tease Olivia with tomorrow..._Oh yes, tomorrow was going to be a good day.

* * *

"Benson."

Alex watched with apprehension as the brunette listened to whoever was on the end of the phone. She felt the warm hand on her thigh flex slightly, and reached for her drink. In the space of ten seconds, Olivia's face had gone from relaxed to tense, the transformation making her look older and instantly more tired. Sighing internally, Alex finished the rest of her wine. Olivia closed her eyes briefly as she snapped her phone shut, the noise adding a touch of finality.

"I've gotta go."

Olivia was reluctant to expand on why she had to leave – hell, she was reluctant to leave, but this was a scene she needed to deal with personally.

"It's okay, Liv." She smiled. "I should probably get going anyway, it's going to be a busy day tomorrow."

Olivia realised she should probably give Alex some prior warning to the chaos that would greet her in the morning. News like this was always hard to deliver, and she hated that she had to do so in this context. Removing her hand from Alex's thigh, she reached for her jacket and stood, the distance making it easier.

"Alex...John Woodson is dead."

The smile disappeared and Olivia hated that she was the one responsible. Grimly, she helped Alex put on her coat and was hailing her a taxi when she bumped into Elliot outside the bar.

"El? You psychic or something?" She laughed uneasily, wondering if it was just coincidence that he was there or if he'd already been inside. Stabler raised an eyebrow as he watched his partner trying to piece together all the potential scenarios. Ignoring her question, he doffed an imaginary cap to Alex.

"Evening, counsellor."

Alex looked just as confused, but was doing a better job at hiding it.

"Liv, we need to get going. You have anything to drink?"

"'Bout half a beer, why?"

"You're driving then."

Olivia decided it was safer not to ask any questions until they were in the car.

"'Night Alex. Let me know when you get home, okay?"

Alex nodded, and disappeared into an idling taxi. Elliot continued.

"I had a drink when I left the squad room, not that long ago."

And with that, Elliot started walking back to where their car was parked. Although he'd have liked to mess his partner around a little more, this new development in their case had dampened his mood. Olivia realised her feet weren't moving, and ran to catch up with him.

"El-"

"Yes, Olivia?"

Benson found herself suddenly tongue-tied.

"Nothing." _Christ, Benson, you sound like a child._ She watched her partner warily. _So what if he saw us? _she asked herself, wondering why she should even care. Despite trying to keep her private life relatively private, Elliot always found out anyway. For once, she had actually thought of telling him in advance, the excitement of a relationship with Alex Cabot seemingly unparalleled by any of her previous ones. Of course, with the rare exception, her previous partners had ultimately been deterred by her work. Whether it was the anti-social hours or the nature of her job, they felt like they just couldn't compete with the drive and passion her job required. Alex, however, was different. A goofy smile drifted onto her face, before she realised what she was doing and whose company she was in.

And where she was going. A sense of dread filled her. This case was getting more complicated by the day and there were still frustratingly few leads. _Maybe he slipped up this time._ Hoping against hope, she got behind the wheel and drove.

* * *

"Suicide?"

Olivia couldn't believe it, and her sentiments were echoed by her partner.

"No evidence of foul play. Given his state of mind, it's not out of the question."

Melinda Warner glanced at her clipboard. "Blood alcohol is 0.12, time of death approximately four hours ago so he was well on the way to passing out when he took the pills."

Elliot carefully stepped around the body, making a mental note of the framed pictures on the desk.

"What about his wife?"

"She died last year. Cancer." Olivia knew the Woodson file inside out, because of possible links to Alex. Elliot looked at the body sympathetically, and Olivia felt a sudden chill go through her. Like she was being watched.

"Who called it in?"

Elliot flipped through his notes.

"His secretary said she was working late and received a strange voicemail. Called the police."

Olivia nodded, though she couldn't quite shake the feeling that all was not as simple as it appeared.

"Let me know if you find anything?" she asked Warner.

"Of course, Olivia. Still nothing on his little girl, I'm afraid, other than what you know already." Warner looked apologetic.

As she stepped out of the brownstone, Olivia's senses kicked into high alert. She took in the street as quickly as she could, eyes darting everywhere in the dark. Only one patrol car was outside, as she and Elliot had parked behind Warner's vehicle on the next block. Due to the lateness of the hour, and the cold, nobody was likely to linger. For those reasons, the figure standing across the street drew her attention almost immediately.

"Elliot, we have company."

As soon as she'd noticed him, the shady figure had realised and started running.

"Shit." Olivia soon took after him, Stabler slightly behind her.

Her feet pounding the pavement – _I didn't think tonight would end this way_ – she sprinted after him, and gained on him as he took a sharp right down an alleyway.

"Police! Stop right there!"

For once, he did as she had asked. Elliot was nowhere in sight and she hoped he would turn up soon. _This guy is giving me the creeps._ As if to prove her point, he smiled at her.

"Put your hands above your head." _Come on, Elliot. _The man complied, winking at her. _He's enjoying this._

"Liv!"

"Here, Elliot!" she shouted, unwilling to move or take her eyes off the strange man before her. Likewise, he just seemed to be staring at her, barely even breathing. The guy creeped her out, big time. Stabler finally found them, and moved to cuff the suspect, patting his partner on the back.

"Good job, Liv."

Patting down the suspect's pockets, Elliot found his ID.

"James Sloan, a reporter."

"You're shitting me. Where's the camera, Mr Sloan?"

Sloan shrugged. "Didn't have one on me. Just happened by and stopped for a minute. Is that a crime?"

Elliot shrugged at his partner.

"There's nothing else on him, not even a cell."

Olivia sighed.

"Why'd you run?"

At this, Sloan smiled. "Felt like some exercise. Didn't expect you to run after me. I think you'll notice that I stopped when you asked."

Olivia frowned. She knew that she couldn't book him for suspicious behaviour alone, but she couldn't exactly include the fact that he gave her chills. She would run his name through the database when they got back, and she took a note of his details from the ID Elliot had passed to her. It looked real enough, but it didn't hurt to check. Stabler uncuffed him with a warning and Sloan walked off into the night. Elliot took a long look at his partner.

"C'mon Liv. Time to go home."

Dismissing her unease as best she could, Olivia's thoughts turned once more to the case.

"What do you think, El? Do you think Woodson would have been capable of suicide? He would never have struck me as the type, but I guess when circumstances are that extreme..."

She trailed off. Elliot looked thoughtful.

"I don't know how I'd cope with losing a partner and a child within a year," he said, drawing his coat closer around his neck.

Olivia had noticed Elliot's deliberate use of 'partner' instead of 'wife.'

"Hey El?"

Stabler looked at her.

"Thank you."

A grin as broad as Long Island broke out on Elliot's face. Taking that as his cue, he got straight to the point.

"So...you and Alex, eh?"

He nudged her ribs with an elbow, enjoying the easy banter between them.

"Shut it, Stabler," she said, smiling. "I had been thinking about telling you but it's all happened so fast."

"Well good for you, Liv. You make quite the couple."

Benson knew he genuinely meant it, and the cold of the night was second to the warmth suddenly blossoming in her chest. Life never failed to surprise her.


	3. Chapter 3

ADA Alexandra Cabot was pacing. The journey from O'Malley's to her apartment in the Upper West Side had passed in a blur, and her heart was still pounding. _Had Elliot seen us?_ Things with Olivia had developed so suddenly that she'd been hesitant to label things. She'd also been reluctant to over-analyse, to think about the future – for once, she was happy to let things develop organically, but it struck her that sooner or later, certain expectations would drag her back to real life. Their friendship was so solid that this new direction had seemed a natural progression, in some respects. On the other hand, she still got butterflies just thinking about the gorgeous brunette detective. Absent-mindedly she touched her thigh, as if she could still feel that warm, solid hand resting there. Predictably, her insides fluttered, and she poured herself a glass of wine, taking a healthy swig. Alex had an almost-borderline obsession with those hands. The way they held a gun; the way they could comfort a victim. She felt almost honoured that Olivia wanted to touch her, which she knew was silly, but when she thought of just _how_ she wanted to be touched, her thoughts took a much less silly turn.

"God, Cabot, get a hold of yourself," she muttered, raising her glass again but barely registering the taste as her mind entertained itself with various possibilites. A phone call shook her out of her reverie, and she grinned when she recognised the number.

"Hey, was just about to call you."

"Hey, Alex. You got home okay?"

The blonde shivered a little at the timbre of Olivia's voice.

"Yeah, about five minutes ago. Any news?" She hated bringing work into their discussion but she knew Olivia was more than likely still at the scene.

"Just on our way back to the precinct. He killed himself, Alex."

The attorney carefully placed her wineglass on the kitchen counter. The news was a blow on multiple levels, the first being rather personal. _Poor John_. She'd talked to him briefly the day before, offering her condolences and help with anything he needed. The words seemed paltry at the time, but now seemed almost worthless.

"Oh," was all she could say.

Olivia was instantly concerned. "Alex? You okay? Look, I'm about a ten minute drive from you. Want me to come over?"

"...yeah. I could do with seeing a friendly face." The blonde distantly realised that Olivia would probably be with Elliot, but at that moment in time, she couldn't care less what he thought. For all he knew they were good friends. She knew her irritation was unreasonable but she couldn't help but be protective over their privacy. Lawyers could play dirty, but she trusted Elliot – as Olivia's partner – to be discreet.

"I'll be there soon." Olivia hung up, and Alex felt the loss immediately. However, the knowledge that she was on her way pushed all thoughts of death and darkness to the back of her mind.

* * *

Thanking Elliot for the ride, Olivia straightened herself up before entering Alex's building. Whenever the attorney paid a visit to the squad room, she always felt slightly self-conscious about her appearance – especially if she'd been working on a case for days – but tonight she was anxious. She wasn't sure what would happen when she entered the apartment, but it couldn't hurt to smarten up a bit. Olivia was still playing with her cropped hair when she knocked on Alex's door.

"Alex, it's me."

The attorney opened the door a minute later, taking Olivia's breath away. Dressed in a silk kimono, she looked effortlessly elegant and the detective forgot all about why she was there. Alex smirked a little as her attire had the desired affect. Though Olivia was obviously tired, she looked as brooding and intense as ever. Something flared within the blonde, like fire through her veins.

"Hey, Liv," she said, softly. "Would you like a drink?"

Remembering what Woodson had been drinking with his medication had put Olivia off spirits for a while. "Beer would be great," she said, finding her voice and shrugging off her jacket. Although anywhere indoors would have felt instantly warmer to the sub-zero temperatures outside, she was pretty sure she felt the heat spike once Alex had opened the door. She had to make an effort to draw her eyes away from Alex's legs, the smooth skin and delicate ankles providing a very happy distraction. Some string music was playing quietly in the background, adding to the elegance of her surroundings even further. She couldn't have been further removed from the crime scene if she'd tried, and for that she was extremely grateful.

Alex soon returned with an open bottle, settling herself next to Olivia on the couch. Handing it to the detective, she made use of Olivia's free arm and put it around her shoulders, resting her head on her chest. She could hear Olivia's heartbeat increase slightly, before settling into a more regular rhythm, and inhaled the scent of the woman beneath her. It made her instantly comfortable.

"We're waiting for Warner's report but there doesn't seem to be anything suspicious. Techs will let us know if they find anything of interest." Thankful that her voice was steady, Olivia started to stroke Alex's arm, enjoying the silky feel beneath her fingertips. The gentle rhythm soothed them both.

"This is the most relaxed I've been all day. Hard to think we were at the theatre only a few hours ago."

"I know. Good thing it's a Saturday tomorrow, do you have much trial prep to get through?"

"That depends. What are you up to this weekend?"

Olivia's heart rate picked up again, as she realised what Alex was asking. Little did she realise that the attorney was feeling equally nervous. She looked down into pale blue eyes and found that they steadied her.

"Technically I'm working tomorrow afternoon but we're at a bit of a dead end at the moment. Will probably have a look at the Woodson report once it's finished, but that could take a while."

"So...tomorrow morning you don't really need to be anywhere?"

Olivia laughed. "Not really. What are you suggesting, counsellor?"

"That you take me to bed."

Alex was deadly serious, and Olivia could almost see her irises darkening. Her glasses had been discarded long ago, and the detective could feel the intensity of her gaze like a kick to the gut. Heart racing, she dipped her head to meet Alex's lips, but it was obvious that the attorney was wanting more than just a kiss. As she moved to lay the slim blonde beneath her, she realised that they'd never even discussed where things were going. The slight movement of the hips beneath hers soon distracted her from such thoughts, and her hands set to exploring every inch of Alex's legs.

"Not that I don't mind what you're- doing," Alex gasped, as Olivia's hands skimmed her inner thighs, "but do you want to take this to the bedroom?"

Her voice carried a slightly authoritative tone, and it turned the brunette on even more. Though it took her a while to remove her hands, Olivia helped the attorney rise and walked down the hall, the music in the kitchen fading and the roaring of blood in her ears getting louder. She could see her hand tremble slightly as she moved to open the door, before Alex's laid atop it.

"Those hands of yours...you don't know how long I've been waiting to feel them on me...inside me."

Olivia gasped, sensing the proximity of Alex's body behind her. The hall was slightly cooler than the living room, and she could feel the warmth of the blonde's body against her back. Slender fingers ran across the spread of her shoulders, down her arms and to her hips. Opening the door was suddenly a momentous effort, but Alex took care of it for her, before playfully shoving her into the room.

Pushing Olivia onto the bed, she straddled the supine woman, enjoying the feel of Olivia Benson beneath her. It didn't take long for the brunette to switch their positions, however, removing Alex's robe with enthusiasm. The blonde groaned as Olivia pinned her arms above her head and started to kiss her way down her body. Slightly roughened fingers traced her ribs; a warm mouth charted her breasts and caused her to moan even louder. She could feel Olivia smiling against her stomach, but the intensity of her current situation was no laughing matter for Alex Cabot.

"Liv," she gasped, her hips moving against the detective's strong upper body. "I need you."

Olivia stopped what she was doing to bring her head level with Alex's own. "Where, sweetheart?" she asked, knowing what the blonde needed but unsure how best to give it to her. In response, Alex grasped her hand, arching her back as she manipulated Olivia's fingers to push deeply into her.

"Fuck, Alex." Olivia was in awe, the intimate gesture affecting her more than she had anticipated.

"Yes, you are," the blonde panted, laughing slightly at her own joke. She moaned again as Olivia took control of the situation, filling her in ways she had never experienced before. _Must be those hands_. The detective's mouth was also keeping busy.

"You're so wet, Alex," she groaned, her fingers moving inside the woman beneath her at an increasing pace. "I want to make you come. You want that, don't you?"

Alex's hips shot off the bed as she felt Olivia's tongue lick her clit, and she risked a look downwards. Deep brown eyes were looking at her and she could see just what Olivia was doing to her, intensifying the sensations. The sight pushed her to the edge, where every touch of Olivia's mouth sent sparks down her legs and across her stomach. The pleasure increased to the point where it could go no further and she came, a hand grasping Olivia's head and a shout escaping her mouth before she could realise what had happened.

"Fuck."

Olivia was suddenly all around her, her touch soothing and voice low in her ear.

"Liv-" she attempted to speak, but the brunette stopped her.

"It's okay, Alex. Rest a minute." She waited for the blonde to catch her breath, before kissing her deeply.

"I can't believe I'm saying this, but tasting myself on you turns me on," Alex said, feeling her libido kick in again.

"You coming in my mouth turns me on," Olivia groaned, as Alex decided to return the favour.

* * *

When Olivia walked into work fifteen minutes late the next day, Sixteenth Precinct was a bit of a zoo, in the words of John Munch.

"Captain's just giving the press some details about John Woodson."

"Anything from Warner?"

"Nothing to contradict the current verdict of suicide." Munch handed her a coffee, cradling his own like it was liquid gold.

"Thanks, John. Reminds me, I need to look someone up."

"Oh yeah?"

"Some reporter we encountered outside the Woodson house last night. Something about him just struck me as odd."

Munch was already pulling up the database. "Name?"

As Olivia was spelling his last name, Cragen walked into the squad room.

"Okay everyone, I know that you're all aware of procedure but I want no details of this case leaking out. I've given the press all the information they should need about John Woodson, so if they ask you about him it'll more than likely lead into questions about his daughter. Huang thinks that this guy wants media attention, and until we catch a break, we're not giving it to him. Alright, back to work everyone."

Olivia's attention returned to the screen. Flipping through her notebook for the address, she verified that James Sloan had a record for assault. _What kind of newspaper would hire him? Must be freelance_. A quick internet search by Munch proved her hunch correct.

"His articles seem to have a dark twist," he mused. "Murder...rape...arson. He's written a hell of a lot about them, recently covered the Subway Strangler in great depth."

"Has he written anything about our guy?" Olivia asked, referring to their serial.

Munch scrolled through a few more pages. "No," he said, sounding puzzled. "You would have thought that'd be right up his street."

"I know Cap said not to talk to reporters, but this is one I'd like to speak with."

* * *

The reporter in question was currently palming Advil in an attempt to battle a raging headache. Futilely rubbing at his eyes, he tried to focus on the screen in front of him.

"Why is she not there?" he said, to nobody in particular.

The bald man on the screen wasn't nearly as entertaining to watch. That man – _Stabler? Yeah, him _– was in the background, but not Detective Benson. He realised he'd been grinding his teeth in frustration, which probably wasn't helping the pounding in his head. Sloan closed his eyes against the barrage of colour and noise. His right arm suddenly swung out, and the glass that had been next to him went flying into the wall, sending chunks of glass everywhere. Water ran down the faded wallpaper like blood. The reporter watched it for a while, fascinated, his anger suddenly forgotten.

_Time for some more fun_. He'd waited long enough.


	4. Chapter 4

"So this guy, Sloan – what do we know about his background?"

Elliot was driving them both to visit the reporter, and still slightly confused as to why. He trusted Olivia's instincts, however, and they had very few leads to chase up, so he was happy for something constructive to do. At least he could tell Kathy he got somewhere today; the lack of breaks in the case was causing tension between him and his wife, mainly due to the stress he brought home from work. Stabler could tell she was frustrated at not being able to help him, and irritated by his fluctuating moods.

"Not much, the record is sketchy. He seems like a bit of a loner, doesn't have any family to speak of."

"Y'know, I think I've read something by him. He covers crime a lot, doesn't he?"

"Yeah, he seems to have a fascination with it. May explain why he was hanging around the Woodson house yesterday." If it had been any other case, Olivia would have dismissed his presence with mild irritation. However, once the stakes were this high, everything and anything could be of significance. It had previously occurred to them that the lack of evidence and leads at the crime scenes thus far may well have been because the suspect knew exactly how to hide his tracks; he'd evidently done his research well. She fidgeted in her jacket, double checking that her handcuffs were accessible.

"Maybe. He wasn't really doing anything though – I asked the unis about him, they didn't even know he was there. Come to think of it, he didn't have a camera or a notepad on him so he must have just been watching."

A few minutes later, Elliot was parking outside Sloan's apartment in Queens.

"Ready to go?"

"As I'll ever be." Little did Olivia Benson know that she'd never have been adequately prepared for what happened next.

* * *

Alex was doodling on a legal pad, staring into space and remembering, rather vividly, how she'd spent Friday night.

The feel of Olivia's tongue tracing her inner thighs; the way she had pinned her against the mattress as she ravaged her mouth...the gentle, almost reverent way she had opened her and tasted her, making her writhe and moan on the bed -

Alex squirmed in her seat, frustrated that she had at least another five hours before she could see Olivia. Unless she needed to pay a visit to the one-six, of course. Inspiration struck – after all, Detective Benson _was_ due to give testimony during a trial next week – and Alex's mood suddenly lifted. She knew she was being a little childish, looking for reasons to be near Olivia, but she didn't care. If all else failed she could always pay Cragen a visit, see how things were progressing. With a smile on her face, she slipped on her jacket and sauntered out the door.

Fifteen minutes later, Alex entered the relatively empty squad room. She took a detour past Olivia's desk, noting the absence of her jacket and a half-empty coffee cup. Saying a brief hello to Fin, the ADA excused herself to catch up with Cragen.

_What did you expect, Alex? You know she's working hard on this._ Chiding herself for her irrational disappointment, she knocked on his door. He was on the phone and he motioned that she should sit, which she did. While he was talking, she took in the decor of his office, realising that she'd never really done so before. It had a homely feel, and she could see why the detectives beneath him regarded Cragen as a father figure.

"What can I do for you, Alex?" he asked, breaking the blonde woman's train of thought.

"Well...I just thought I'd see how things were going. I originally came by to see if Detective Benson was free to go over some testimony for next week."

"For the Fremantle case?" Alex nodded. "She and Elliot have gone to check out a lead on some reporter, a...James Sloan."

The name rung a faint bell, but the attorney couldn't quite figure out where she'd heard the name before. She told Cragen as much.

"He's a freelance journalist, writes a lot about violent crime. Apparently he was hanging around the Woodson house the other night."

"That's it! I think he was in the office. A couple of weeks ago. Wanted to interview John."

Cragen sat up straight. "Do you remember the date?"

Alex realised that they could have actually hit upon something. "Let me check my Blackberry." A painfully slow minute passed, and the colour drained from Alex's face. "Two days before Melissa Woodson was found." The day she'd cooked for Olivia; a date that wasn't likely to be forgotten any time soon.

"Olivia and Elliot are out looking for him?" she asked, as Cragen started dialling a number on his phone.

"Pick up, Liv," he muttered, his anxiety not going unnoticed by Alex. Her heart was racing, both at the prospect of a break in their case but also at the danger Olivia and Elliot were suddenly in. _They've gone out to interview a reporter...who just happens to be a serial killer. Great._ Alex knew that Olivia was trained to handle almost any situation but all logical thought flew out the window when she saw the look on Cragen's face. Her anxiety increased when it became obvious that neither Olivia nor Elliot was answering the phone.

* * *

As they'd approached the apartment door, Olivia's senses were on high alert. The hairs on the back of her neck were standing on end, a feeling of unease that wasn't helped by the strange smell in the corridor. If anyone lived down this hallway, they were doing a good job of keeping quiet – it was as if the whole section of the building had been abandoned. Ahead of her, Elliot was slowing outside the door, about to knock – when he heard something.

"Did you hear that?"

They stood in silence for a second, and Olivia thought she could hear her watch ticking. Then she heard it. A child, crying.

"El, it's coming from his apartment."

Unholstering his gun, Elliot started to kick down the door. Vaguely, he could feel his cell phone buzzing in his pocket, but as soon as the thought registered it was dismissed.

"NYPD!" he shouted, "open up!"

Louder noises could be heard behind the door, and Olivia drew her gun. Someone moved past the peephole; the child's cries suddenly stopped. Worried their suspect was going to make a run for it, she took over from Elliot.

"Call for backup."

Aiming a solid kick just below the latch, she managed to bust the door open, practically falling into the gun aimed at her chest. The next ten seconds seemed to pass so very, very slowly, as she felt something hit her in the lungs, knocking the air from her body and leaving a trail of fire in its wake. Behind her, she could hear Elliot screaming her name; around her, the serene stillness of the apartment as she fell to her knees. Looking up in confusion, she saw anguish on Sloan's face, as he realised just who he'd shot. It took him a second to raise the gun again, at his intended target, but it took Elliot even less time to shoot him in the shoulder, causing him to drop his weapon.

"LIV!"

Sloan was muttering something under his breath, grabbing onto his shoulder as he stared at the detectives.

"Shut up," Elliot said, close to tears. He kicked Sloan's gun out of the way, reaching for his partner before she hit the floor completely. "Liv, can you hear me?" Stabler was frantic. Laying Olivia on the floor, he searched for the wound but it didn't take long – the slug had gone straight through her chest, and blood was bubbling from the wound. A narrow stream of red spilled out of Olivia's mouth as she struggled to breathe.

Sloan was curled into the fetal position, whimpering.

"Wasn't meant to be you," he was saying, over and over. "Not you, never you."

Elliot barely acknowledged him, though his disgust for the man was evident. He quickly called for an ambulance, his thumb leaving bloody prints all over the phone. His other hand pressed down onto the wound, gradually staining red as he tried to prevent more blood escaping. _So much blood, so much. Too much._ Olivia groaned in pain as he applied pressure, and he apologised, realising that his efforts were probably futile. It was the only thing he could do, besides call for a bus. She was so pale already, and her eyelids were fluttering as she struggled to remain conscious.

"Just hold on, Liv. Stay with me."

Stabler watched helplessly as his partner fell unconscious, her breathing shallow and laboured. Sloan was crying.

"Where's the kid?" Elliot asked, his voice rough and close to breaking. Sloan was almost catatonic, watching the blood pooling around Olivia's neck. If he hadn't been trying to keep her alive, Elliot could have punched him.

"Where's the kid?!" he shouted, frustrated beyond belief at the situation he found himself in. In the distance, Elliot could hear sirens and he aimed his gun at Sloan once more. If he were to even move a muscle, he had no qualms about shooting him again. The killer looked at him, distraught.

"Just give me an excuse, you bastard."

"I never meant to hurt her," Sloan whimpered, and Elliot was surprised to see tears in his eyes.

"Well you did. And if she dies, you'll wish you'd never met me."


	5. Chapter 5

AN: Thank you for the feedback! I didn't think I'd be able to get another part up in time (I'm going away for a week) but I felt a bit mean leaving things as I did. Hope this will help tide you over until I can get another chapter written; as this was done rather quickly, I may well tweak it a bit next week.

There was so much activity going on around her, but Olivia could barely keep her eyes open, never mind keep track of what was going on. Her vision was getting a little fuzzy around the edges, which was irritating to say the least. At least the pain in her chest seemed to have gone, though part of her knew that probably wasn't a good thing. She could feel scissors cutting her shirt, and realised Elliot was standing to give her some privacy. There seemed to be quite the crowd in James Sloan's cramped apartment: uniforms and paramedics, their activity still beyond Olivia's comprehension. She looked down towards the hole in her chest as one of the medics covered the wound, pressing the gauze down firmly. *Now* she felt it, and she groaned a bit, trying to stop him.

"It's okay Liv, I know it hurts but you'll be out of here soon," Elliot was saying, looking scared to death. That didn't help her feel much better, and neither did the weird sensation of feeling her own blood pool around her.

"Cold," she said, frustrated at her lack of ability to articulate quite how she was feeling. But she was just so tired, and longed to sleep.

"Liv, stay awake. C'mon, let me see those beautiful brown eyes of yours."

"Charmer," she gasped, the ability to actually draw breath proving difficult. She'd never again take for granted how much effort was involved in such a simple act. Elliot was holding her hand; she could just about feel his fingers wrapped around her palm, and he kept holding onto her as they prepared her for transport.

Then, there was sudden movement in the hallway. Olivia tried to move her head to see what was going on, but it was a futile effort. She could hear Cragen's voice and then...

"Alex?" Elliot voiced her thoughts almost simultaneously.

_No, she shouldn't be here_, Olivia thought, her breathing starting to become more laboured in her distress.

"Whoah, easy Liv." Elliot's attention was back with her, as unconsciousness beckoned.

"Alex," she coughed, blood suddenly staining the gauze and soaking it through in a matter of seconds. The paramedics started to move with urgency, and before Olivia succumbed to the darkness, she saw her. The light made it look like she was surrounded by a halo, and the detective dimly wondered if it would be the last thing she ever saw.

* * *

Cragen was reconsidering his decision to allow Alex to ride with him. He'd been in a rush to get to the address and had conceded to her request without really thinking of the consequences. Of course, his suggestion that she stay in the car had gone unheeded, and she'd entered the building less than a minute later. He had been giving orders to the medics treating Sloan when Alex brushed past him, and he'd barely had time to stop her entering the room before she practically collapsed against the doorframe.

"Liv." Her voice broke as she took in the scene before her. There was blood everywhere, and to her right uniformed officers were talking to a young girl who was crying quietly.

"Alex."

The blonde looked at her lover again, tears escaping as she saw more blood soaking through the makeshift dressing. Before she could enter, however, Alex felt Cragen taking hold of her arm, simultaneously supporting her and turning her away from the scene inside. Gunshot wounds to the chest were never pretty, but the fact that Olivia had stayed conscious for so long was a good sign. He told Alex as much, but the attorney didn't seem to be listening. They were moving Olivia past her, shouting all sorts of medical terminology that sounded like absolute gibberish and far too clinical. One of Olivia's hands was hanging off the side of the stretcher, and she reached for it.

"I need to go with her."

The look in her eyes said more than words could ever convey. Elliot nodded at the Captain, who found himself speechless. _No wonder she wanted to come with me,_ he thought, slightly thrown by the turn of events. He collected himself.

"Of course, they'll let you ride with her. Which hospital are you going to?" he asked the nearest medic.

"Bellevue, not sure about him," he said, jerking his thumb towards Sloan. The reporter was being tended to by a rather anxious looking paramedic.

"Elliot, I'm going to get Munch and Fin to follow up on Sloan. You keep an eye on Olivia, keep me updated. I'll be along as soon as I can." Elliot merely nodded, too absorbed in his partner's well-being to really care what was going on around him. He raised a hand to comfort Alex but just as soon removed it, realising that it was covered in blood.

* * *

Hours later, after a frantic ride to the hospital, there was still no news. Munch and Fin had finished their first round of questioning with Sloan, unable to retrieve much usable information from him; the pain meds he was on, as well as his apparent disregard for the police, resulted in frustratingly few answers.

"Just you wait, when that sonofabitch gets outta here, he won't know what hit him."

As if to emphasise his point, Fin smacked a balled up fist into the palm of his other hand.

"Easy, partner," said Munch, hiding his own anger behind a well-constructed, calming presence. Knowing that they both needed to do something productive, though reluctant to leave the hospital, he suggested they visit Sloan's apartment. Fin merely nodded his assent, and Munch wondered if it was such a good idea letting his partner loose in the crime scene. He himself wasn't sold on the idea, but he hoped they could at least find something to help build a case against their leading suspect. _And for Olivia_. They met Cragen as he was pacing past the waiting room, barking orders into his phone.

"Munch, Fin, anything?"

"Nada, Captain. Going to check out his apartment, see if we can find anything useful there." Cragen nodded.

"Keep me posted. I'll be with Child Services, we're still trying to identify the vic. She's not talking to anyone."

"You'll let us know if..."

"Of course, John."

Cragen looked every inch the worried father, and Munch took in the small crowd gathering to hear news about Olivia. Kathy had recently arrived with coffee for everyone, Huang was talking to Alex – no doubt waiting to speak to the little girl – and Warner had dropped by en route from the scene. She was also talking to Alex, who looked absolutely distraught, and Munch felt a sympathetic pang for the ADA. Neither Elliot nor Cragen had shed light on why Alex was so upset – perhaps witnessing the scene first hand had shaken her – but it hadn't escaped his notice that her hands were bloody, or that it was her, not Elliot, who had ridden in the ambulance with Olivia. Why else would Elliot's car be parked outside? He sent a silent prayer to whatever God was listening that things would be alright.

* * *

Alex had just about fallen asleep on Elliot's shoulder when he was gently nudging her awake.

"Alex...wake up, Alex."

Remembering where she was, the attorney practically bolted upright, realising that a man in a white coat was present. He'd come straight from surgery, his scrubs crinkled, but she appreciated the fact that he'd made an effort to look presentable.

"Are you here for Olivia Benson?" he asked, already knowing the answer. Whenever a cop was brought in, a close-knit crowd often developed and proved hard to remove without hearing news of their loved one.

"Yes," Alex said, her voice hoarse from crying.

"Is there any family present?"

"We're all family," Cragen announced, stepping into the room and placing his hands on his hips. He glanced at Alex, briefly. Emboldened, the blonde stepped up.

"I'm her partner. Alex Cabot." Struggling to keep her composure, she closed her eyes, the sting of tears ever threatening.

"Miss Cabot...she's going to be okay." The doctor was smiling, Alex realised, and it took her a few seconds to process what he was saying.

"She- she's alright?"

"She's resting now, in ICU. But she's strong, and if I'm not mistaken, she's been asking for you."

Elliot heaved a sigh of relief, and Alex broke down into happy tears.

"She's alright," she repeated, unsure of what to do with the joy that suddenly filled her. She felt like laughing and crying all at once, like running and screaming and then she was hugging the man in front of her.

"Thank you. Thank you so much."

She released the slightly flustered surgeon, who took her to where Olivia was recovering.

"Don't be frightened by the machines, they're just there to monitor her condition and help with the pain," he said, laying a solid hand on her shoulder. Alex nodded, not trusting herself to speak lest she burst into tears again. They walked for what seemed like an eternity, and then all of a sudden, Alex was at her detective's bedside. _Oh, Liv..._

Although she'd been privy to Olivia's vulnerable side before – after all, they had been good friends before they were lovers – shd hadn't expected to see her looking quite so child-like. Olivia stirred a little, and Alex shook herself out of her reverie, immediately reaching for her hand and stroking it with the pad of her thumb. She was mindful of the peripheral IV; she disliked the fact that such a clinical intrusion was necessary, especially since it affected one of her favourite parts of Olivia's body.

"A'x?"

"Sweetheart, I'm here." Alex was crying freely now, happy just to hear Olivia's voice.

"I thought-" Olivia tried to cough a little, obviously in discomfort, and her hand grasped Alex's as a twinge of pain made itself known.

"Olivia, don't speak too much. You've been through hell and back."

After a few minutes, the brunette grinned.

"I thought you were an angel," she said, the words clearly costing her but she was determined to get them out. Alex laughed a little.

"Cheeseball."

"Ah, you love it really," Olivia said, wheezing a little with the effort of talking.

"How's your pain? Do you want something?" Alex asked, trying to look for the morphine button.

"Just sorted it," Olivia said, already drifting off. The blonde smiled, reaching over to ruffle the other woman's short locks.

"Alright, champ. Get some rest," she said, dropping a kiss on the brunette's forehead. Almost instinctively, she whispered,

"I love you."

As she pulled away, a ghost of a smile tugged at Olivia's lips and Alex was left wondering if she'd heard her. The words had seemed to fall out of her mouth, and although she was slightly shocked she'd said them aloud, Alex quickly realised that they were true. Olivia's hand moved slightly within her own, effectively returning the attorney to reality.

"Oh Olivia, what am I going to do with you?" she muttered, smiling all the while.

When Elliot stopped by ten minutes later, having waited long enough to see how his partner was doing, he was greeted with the sight of Alex holding Olivia's hand as they both slept. Cragen had followed him in, and for a minute, both took in the peaceful sight before them.

"I tell you one thing, Elliot. That just about made today bearable." Patting him on the shoulder, Cragen turned and left the way he had came. A few moments later, Stabler did the same, reaching for his wife's hand as they headed home. Kathy looked at him, squeezing his hand for comfort.

"She'll be okay, Elliot."

Stabler smiled.

"That is one thing I have no doubt about."


	6. Chapter 6

AN: hey guys, thanks for the reviews! They keep me going :) this is another short one, I'm afraid, but I know where I'm heading with things so it shouldn't be too long 'til I post another part.

"Someone get Stabler out of there right now!" Cragen shouted, storming out of the observation room. Fin was interrupting the interrogation within seconds, pulling the burly detective off Sloan's less imposing bulk. As much as he'd wanted to do the same as Stabler, the ex-narc knew too much was riding on the perp's confession to risk losing it on a technicality.

"Elliot!" he shouted, struggling to restrain Olivia's partner. He could feel the anger coming off him in waves, the tense muscles bunching under his shirt and finally relaxing as he realised what was going on.

"Shake it off, Detective," Cragen was saying, standing in the doorway. Elliot could barely hear him, the rage sending his blood to boiling point, a sudden roar in his ears. He grunted something as he stormed out of the room, grabbing his jacket on his way out of the precinct.

Cragen looked at the bleeding man with barely disguised contempt.

"You'd better watch what you say to my detectives. Shooting Olivia Benson was not a smart move."

At the mention of her name, Sloan grew agitated.

"That's right, you shot her. We've seen your collection," Fin said, sneering. He and Munch had been in for a shock when they checked out the reporter's bedroom – cuttings and prints of Olivia formed some kind of shrine in the corner of the room; the same room in which he'd kept the girls he killed. Huang would be having a field day once he got some alone time with this guy, but Fin didn't envy him. He and Munch had visited Olivia that morning, but hadn't stayed long; having been through the experience himself, Fin knew just how unpleasant it was. The brunette had been knocked out on pain medication, though obviously still in a lot of discomfort. As usual, Alex had been there, flipping through legal notepads and looking stressed.

She'd been relieved to see the detectives, friendly faces being a better distraction than work from Olivia's obvious pain.

"She's going to be uncomfortable for a while," Fin said, trying to console the exhausted looking blonde. "But she's strong...this is Olivia we're talking about. Want me to get anything?"

Alex had declined his offer, but watched in amusement when Munch turned to Olivia.

"How about you, Liv? I reckon you could do with a beer when you wake up." He patted her shoulder, careful of the wires, before re-arranging the flowers he'd left on her bedside table. He winked at Alex as he left the room. Fin followed, his characteristic swagger somewhat more restrained than usual.

"That man's a big softy, isn't he Liv?" Alex said, reaching for the brunette's hand in an attempt to soothe her. It seemed to work; Olivia's brow wasn't as creased as it had been and her face relaxed a bit. The attorney was reluctant to leave her, but she had three arraignments that afternoon, so she called Stabler.

"Elliot? Hi, it's Alex. You busy for the next couple of hours? Yeah, that okay?" She and Elliot had grown closer over the past 48 hours, an unspoken bond of devotion to the same woman bringing them closer than they'd ever been. Events had transpired so quickly that they hadn't had time to process everything; she was sure Cragen, at least, would be having words with her about her relationship with Olivia. Sighing, she banished those worries for the time being, and pressed a gentle kiss to the hand she was still holding. She would, of course, wait for him to arrive before she left; the thought of leaving Olivia alone didn't even cross her mind.

* * *

Olivia could tell what was going on around her, but it was as if it had all blurred into a dream. She wasn't sure what was real and what wasn't, only that her chest hurt like holy hell. Of course, getting shot through a lung was hardly going to be easy to recover from, but she hadn't expected it to hurt quite so much; her dosage of pain meds had been reduced and while it took the edge off, she longed to be free from the sharp pain in her chest, and the ache that seemed to persist everywhere else.

"Wow, you don't look so hot," Elliot said, frowning.

"El, I was shot in the chest," Olivia said, wheezing a little.

"Fair point," he grinned, dropping a newspaper onto the bed. "Sloan's arrest is all over the front page."

"Bit ironic, given his profession," Olivia said, trying to sit up.

"Whoah partner, you meant to be moving about like that?"

Olivia glared at him.

"Okay, okay," he said, putting his hands up in self-defense. "Let me help you at least."

Ignoring the second glare she leveled at him, he tugged at the pillows and helped her settle back. She looked even paler than before, with a slight tinge to her cheeks. As Olivia reached for the paper, Elliot laid the back of his palm across her forehead.

"Liv, you're hot." He reached for the buzzer, knowing that a fever must have developed relatively quickly; he was sure Alex would have noticed, and a nurse checked in every hour or so. His partner was mumbling something at him, her eyes glazed and rather unfocused. Cursing under his breath, he pressed the button again, just as Olivia passed out and a flustered-looking nurse entered the room.

"Why is she sitting up?" she chided, before realising that her patient had apparently fainted. She quickly checked the brunette's vitals, cursing under her breath.

"She's gone into septic shock," she nurse said, paging a doctor as soon as she realised what was going on. At that point, Olivia's heart went into arrest and Elliot was effectively shoved out of the room, resigned to watching doctors and nurses running down the corridor. He heard the tell-tale whine of a defibrillator and fear shot through him, turning his stomach and legs to jelly.

* * *

Cragen was watching as Huang talked to Sloan, finding his voice oddly soothing given the circumstances. His shirt was rolled up to the elbows, crinkled and uncomfortable; his hands itched for something to do, and he drummed his fingers against the wall. Munch stood with him, as implacable as ever. Cragen almost jumped out of his skin when he felt his phone go, and Munch looked at him quizzically. Ignoring him, he flipped open his cell.

"You're shitting me."

Munch was still watching him, though his expression had become grim. As Cragen slipped his phone back into his pocket, he moved to call Huang out of the interview room. Once the doctor had rather reluctantly left, he braced himself against the vacant chair, staring at Sloan. The slim man stared right back at him, the right side of his mouth tugging slightly upwards as he took in the anger on the other man's face. Sloan knew he couldn't be touched again, and although he hadn't anticipated capture, was rather enjoying seeing the results of his work first-hand. This man in front of him – Olivia's Captain – was obviously upset about something.

"Olivia Benson is on life support. You'd better hope she pulls through."

Cragen could feel the wood creaking in his hands. He was sure his mood wouldn't improve when the reports came back on his latest victim._ At least she's alive,_ he reasoned. As for Olivia...lead settled in his stomach as he remembered what Elliot had told him. Blood poisoning after a gunshot wound to the chest – the prognosis was not good. Squaring his shoulders, he went to inform his squad.

* * *

Alex was just finishing her last arraignment of the day when she felt her Blackberry buzz. She'd been checking it every so often, her mind distracted by the thought of Olivia, and was surprised to see Elliot's name come up. _Is that a good sign or not?_

"Miss Cabot? If you'd like to rejoin us."

The arraignment judge was looking at her, not unsympathetically. Luckily, he was one with whom Alex had cultivated a good working relationship, and the attorney was grateful for small mercies.

"Of course, sorry."

The next five minutes passed far too slowly, her mind distracted by Elliot's call and what it might mean. The opposing counsel was proving frustrating beyond belief, and Alex just wanted to smack his glasses off his face. Numerous different scenarios flickered through her mind, each one worse than the next. The phone in her pocket seemed to be burning against her thigh, and as soon as the plea was accepted, she was marching out of the courtroom, already dialling Elliot.

"Alex...you need to get here as soon as you can. They probably need some kind of power of attorney or something."

The man was obviously upset, but Alex wasn't sure she wanted to know what he was saying.

"Elliot, what's going on? What happened?"

"She can't breathe for herself, Alex. She went into septic shock and they had to restart her heart." His voice was cracking, and the attorney practically dropped the phone. Not even bothering to hang up, she hailed the nearest cab and hoped she wasn't too late.


	7. Chapter 7

Elliot met the ADA outside the hospital doors, where he'd been standing to try and get some fresh air. The traffic made it nearly impossible, but being able to step into an open space had made it somewhat easier to breathe. The bustle of people inside, the clinical smell and artificial light were giving him a headache. Technically, outside wasn't much different; but here, his anguish was lost in the grand rush of the city. He saw the blonde exiting a taxi, the cars behind honking in irritation at the disruption; she didn't seem to notice, and barely acknowledged the traffic around her as she fixed on the hospital entrance.

"Elliot, what happened?" she asked, her voice strained with the effort of withholding tears. He put an arm on her shoulder, guiding her inside.

"She had a fever, it developed fast. They're just waiting for it to break, but they caught it in time – none of her organs were affected."

"What about her heart?"

Elliot grimaced.

"She coded. They think sitting up overloaded everything." Stabler was obviously blaming himself, but Alex was just relieved that Olivia was actually alive. Her shoulders sagged with relief - her mind had been running through horrific scenarios on the taxi ride over. She barely noticed the other people they passed; hospitals made her feel nauseous, but she was so focused on finding Olivia that she didn't really care. Elliot's hand on her shoulder provided welcome warmth, and she realised that she'd left the courthouse without a jacket. As they approached Olivia's room, Alex saw Cragen waiting outside. _Great._

"Alex," he greeted her, his expression unreadable.

"Hi, Don."

"I know these aren't the most normal of circumstances...I never expected to discover that you and Olivia were together, never mind find out this way."

Alex was about to interrupt but thought better of it.

"All I know is that Olivia needs someone looking out for her right now, and I'd much rather it was someone I know and trust. I trust you, Alex. And I'm going to ignore the conflict of interest here because I trust you both to be professional. When she gets out of here, I don't expect there to be any problems. But until then, Olivia needs all the help she can get."

Alex merely nodded, the ramifications of her relationship with Olivia an unwelcome distraction from her reason for being there – to see the injured detective. They hadn't even had time to discuss things properly before the shooting; everything since then had happened so fast that it scared her slightly. _Now is not the time for cowardice, Alexandra._ She could almost hear her mother chiding her, and she self-consciously straightened her shoulders.

"Of course."

Elliot smiled. _Cabot's back_.

Though he had been somewhat oblivious to the chemistry between the two, he could see that they were well suited. Their arguments were often heated, which only emphasised how passionate both women were about their own opinions. There was nothing worse than a lack of passion; Stabler knew that constant challenges and not settling for less were what kept a relationship alive. But ignoring the arguments, he knew that they would both respect each other – their strong friendship had attested to that. Although the change in dynamic had been a surprise, the more he thought about it, the more he realised how well they fit. Elliot was suddenly overcome with a wave of sympathy for the attorney: she was putting on a hell of a game face. He steered her past his Captain, into Olivia's room.

"Oh God."

Alex bolted for the adjoined bathroom, and Stabler could hear the sounds of her vomiting. He'd forgotten how bad his partner looked, especially since Alex had seen her only a few hours previous. The blonde returned, clearing her throat. She was grateful that Elliot didn't ask how she was – his concern was evident but she couldn't deal with sympathy. _Not right now._ Alex crossed the room, her eyes locked onto the brunette on the bed. Remembered just how alive that body had looked and felt; how warm Olivia's stomach had been against her own, the muscles of her arms firm under the surface of her tanned skin. The smell of Olivia's short hair as she held her close; the relaxing rhythm of her breath and heartbeat. Now the strong woman she knew so intimately was just a shell, her lungs being saved the effort of breathing by artificial means.

"She'll get through this, Alex. You've both been through the worst of it."

_Damnit._

Alex Cabot broke down.

* * *

Don Cragen decided to pay a visit to the DA's office on his way back to the one-six. It wasn't a stop he'd normally make; he preferred to deal with office politics over the phone. However, he wanted to drop off the case report on John Woodson in person; and decided that it was time to pull some strings. There was no way Alex would be on form for any of their open cases, and he knew that she'd be reluctant to ask for time off herself. Cragen also knew that she'd probably be angry at his intervention, but she'd be foolish to challenge him and cause an upset over such a contentious issue. Really, he was doing her a favour rather than calling into question her professional ability - he just hoped she'd see it that way.

* * *

"There's no doubt he's delusional," Huang said, steepling his fingers in a meditative pose. "His obsession with Olivia probably tied in with the crimes – he wanted attention from her. Whether that was his original intention or not, I'm not sure. He's not talking right now."

"Hm," snorted Munch, still slightly unnerved at the memory of Sloan's shrine to the other detective. "So what do you think about the shooting?"

"He feels terrible about it. If he intended to hurt Olivia, it was in a different way. He probably realised her emotional investment in cases, which may have been why he targeted young girls. As for Melissa Woodson – media exposure, perhaps the chance to see the object of his affections in the limelight."

"If he likes her so much, why put her through the wringer? It doesn't make sense." Fin was frowning, his hatred for Sloan clouding any comprehension of his motives. As ever, Huang was the calm voice of reason.

"Maybe he thought he could save her somehow. Turn up and act as her saviour."

"Some knight in shining armour," Munch said, sitting on Fin's desk.

"Hey, get your bony ass off there," Fin groused, hoping that their traditional banter would distract him from the inner workings of the serial killer Huang was describing.

"Since you asked so nicely..."

Neither noticed Huang get up to question Cragen, who had just returned.

"How's Olivia?"

"She'll be okay, but she's not out of the woods yet."

"What about Alex?"

Cragen looked at the psychiatrist for a second, still unused to the fact that their ADA was so closely tied to one of his detectives.

"They're both tough cookies. Elliot's with her now, so she's not alone."

Huang nodded. "This is tough on everybody, but especially Alex. I get the impression their relationship is relatively new?"

Cragen shrugged, his mouth forming words but not quite sure how to vocalise them. To his surprise, he was blushing slightly; it was as if he was talking about his daughter's new girlfriend, which was a concept he was still adjusting to.

"Yeah, I think so. Things have been developing faster than I can keep up with them." Cragen adjusted his tie, deciding that ten minutes' peace in his office sounded pretty appealing. Huang picked up on his body language and said goodbye, promising to return to interview Sloan the next day.

* * *

Once again, Olivia Benson was on her back in an unfamiliar environment. Random patches of awareness flickered through her thoughts, interspersed with long periods of blissful darkness. Her right hand was warm, and something was lightly pinching the tip of her index finger; at times, she could feel the cold IV fluid entering through the vein in her hand, but she was too tired to do anything about warming up. Luckily, whoever was holding her hand also made sure she stayed comfortable.

Eventually, curiosity got the better of her and she wanted to see who was with her. After a monumental effort, she cracked her right eye open. Having been closed for so long, she couldn't see much other than a blur; but that was all she needed to see the crown of blonde hair resting on her arm.

_That explains the tickling sensation._

Because of her blurry vision, and the seemingly-painful brightness of the room, Alex seemed to be radiating warmth and light. Safe in the knowledge that she was being watched over, Olivia succumbed to sleep once more.

* * *

The next time she attempted to open her eyes, Alex was awake, but looked exhausted. She noticed a change in Olivia almost immediately, and reached for the call button.

"Liv," she breathed, the surprise of seeing the brunette conscious competing with complete and utter joy at the sight.

"I've never been so happy to see those eyes of yours," she said, blinking back tears. Olivia tried to move, but she laid a hand on her shoulder, making sure she didn't sit up.

"No you don't, Benson. The last time you did that you gave everyone quite a scare," Alex said, an edge of worry creeping into her voice despite the light tone. A few minutes later, a doctor was extubating and checking Olivia over. Alex laughed inwardly as she watched him consider - then decide against - asking her to leave. She was pretty sure it had something to do with the nurse helping him, who'd talked to Alex whenever she had checked on Olivia. The attorney had barely left the room, except to take a phone call from Arthur Branch, who had ordered her to take some time off. _I'll have to deal with that,_ she mused, but for now there were more important things to worry about.

Olivia was prescribed new drugs, and an appointment was made with a physical therapist for a few days' time. Alex could sense that Olivia was frustrated at having to be stuck in bed for so long, but she doubted the brunette could move even if she wanted to.

"Hey," she murmured, reaching for Olivia's hand again. The detective turned to look at her, a smile gracing her face.

"Alex, when's the last time you slept? Properly?" Olivia's voice was hoarse from the intubation, and her eyes watered a little with speech. Reaching for a cup of water, with the instruction to take small sips, the ADA laughed.

"Trust you to be worried about me. You scared the shit out of me, Olivia." Alex's voice wavered a little; she hadn't intended to come across so strongly. Mentally kicking herself, she raised their entwined hands and kissed Olivia's.

"You've been out for a while. Do you remember anything?"

Olivia shook her head. Then all of a sudden, realised that she did. When she'd been shot, as the morphine kicked in..._nah, I dreamed it._ Alex was blushing slightly, as if she'd just remembered the same thing.

"Why are you blushing, counsellor?" Olivia asked, hoping that the smile on her face wasn't as goofy as she feared. She had aimed for a subtle grin but hadn't used those muscles for a while. Pain meds weren't helping the situation.

"I just..." Alex was uncharacteristically lost for words. "I'm just glad to have you back, Liv." Taking a risk, she leaned over to kiss Olivia on the mouth; a gentle kiss, one of comfort and familiarity, but also one to convey exactly how she felt at that moment. She could feel Olivia smile as she pulled away; could feel her lips tingling. Alex felt alive, and she'd never been happier.


	8. Chapter 8

Olivia wanted to punch something. Though it hurt to move, she was becoming more and more frustrated at being confined to a bed. Her irritation didn't go unnoticed by Alex, who, on more than one occasion, had bit her tongue and dealt with the mood swings admirably. Elliott seemed impressed by her ability to deal with his grouchy partner, though the blonde mused that he was probably just grateful not to have to ride out Olivia's anger and frustration himself.

"When can I get out of here?" Olivia was on a charm offensive with her doctor now, and Alex chuckled to herself. Doctor Stevens was as stubborn as the detective, but Alex could tell that even his patience was wearing thin with the obstinate brunette.

"That all depends. How's your pain? Honestly."

"Absolutely fine." Olivia cracked out a smile, ignoring the ache in her chest; her hopes were instantly lifted by the doctor's question. Turning to Alex, Dr Stevens asked her to join him outside the room.

"Ms Cabot, am I right in assuming that you and your partner live together?"

Alex flushed slightly, not sure whether to correct his assumption; if she was honest with herself, the attorney had no idea what was in store for the two of them, though she had considered the possibility that Olivia move into her apartment to recuperate.

"Yes," she answered, after a moment.

"Detective Benson is a stubborn woman. Now I'm sure you can deal with it, but if I were to release her now, she needs to keep on top of her therapy and pain management. Do you think you can handle it?"

Alex nodded, butterflies suddenly coming to life in the pit of her stomach. _Liv can come home...with me._ Though not under ideal circumstances, this change in events was more than welcome. For the first time in recent days, Alex could think of life – both hers and Olivia's, separate and together – outside of the hospital walls. She was suddenly, inexplicably, nervous.

"Alright. I'll let her know the good news," Dr Stevens said, smirking a little. Alex remained outside the room, trying to calm her nerves. When she entered, they disappeared under the gentle smile of Olivia Benson.

"Hey," she said, overjoyed at the prospect of getting out. She reached her hand out, unable to move it as far as she liked – a twinge in her chest reminded her not to push it too much – but Alex got the hint. The slender woman crossed the room, looking ever so slightly apprehensive. Nevertheless, she reached for Olivia's hand, linking their fingers as she used her other hand to reach for a chair.

"Don't worry, I'm not going to bite your head off today," Olivia said, self-deprecatingly. "Dr Stevens said that he'd let me go as long as you kept me on the straight and narrow."

"Yeah..."

"Alex, you can say no, you know. You have court and all sorts of commitments to catch up on, I don't want to get in your way. I can stay in here for a bit longer."

They looked at each other for a few seconds before Alex said,

"As if."

Olivia laughed, casting her eyes downwards.

"I know things happened so quickly," she said, a little unsure of where to start. _She never normally makes you this nervous, Benson. Spit it out._ "I just don't want you to feel obliged to do anything," she finished, looking Alex dead in the eye, her head raised ever so slightly.

For her part, the blonde looked surprised the topic was even under discussion.

"Detective Benson, I think you'll find I'm the only person who seems to get you to do what you're told," she said, raising an eyebrow. "Besides," she added, drawing her chair closer, "who else is going to give you a sponge bath? It's either me or one of your colleagues. I'm sure Munch would be keen to offer his services."

Olivia pulled a face. "Okay, I give," she said, secretly pleased that she and Alex would have some time together.

"In any case, I've been given some time off. I have a feeling Cragen had something to do with that."

Olivia looked confused. Alex realised that the brunette had probably been blissfully unaware of the revelations resulting from her hospitalisation.

"I'll fill you in later. I don't want to think about Cragen when I'm kissing you."

Olivia smiled, meeting Alex half way in a tender kiss. They'd kept their displays of affection rather minimal due to the frequent interruptions of hospital staff, and because both knew anything more would ignite something that would prove incredibly difficult to dampen.

"So..." Olivia was catching her breath slightly, a result of the kiss and her injury, _but mainly that kiss_. "What's this about a sponge bath?"

Alex rolled her eyes, resisting the urge to give the brunette a playful smack on the shoulder. "Only if you behave yourself," she said wryly, dropping a quick kiss on Olivia's forehead before she went to sort out the release papers.

* * *

Elliot had offered to drive them to Alex's apartment, an offer the attorney gratefully took him up on. The banter between Olivia and Elliot was more muted than normal, possibly because Olivia was exhausted just maneuvering into the car; Elliot had glanced at her worriedly, and Alex shared his concerns. However, Olivia had been as stubborn as ever and even cracked a couple of jokes.

"You don't have to warn me before you brake, El. I'm used to your excuse for driving, remember?"

Stabler smiled, trying to ignore Olivia's pallor. He wanted to put his faith in the doctor responsible for releasing his partner early; however, given the nasty turn things had taken before, he was still worried. For Alex's sake, he didn't mention anything. Elliot still felt terrible about what had happened, and the blonde didn't need a reminder of how close Olivia had been to death. Risking a quick glance in the rear view mirror, he caught her eyes, trying to put her at ease.

"You sure you're ready for this, counsellor? You're going to have to tie her to a bed before she'll get better," he joked, his ears going bright red when he realised the connotations of what he'd said. Alex's mouth dropped open in the back seat, but Olivia burst into laughter, checked slightly by the pain in her chest.

"EL!"

* * *

Alex was glad when they were finally safely in her apartment, alone, together. Elliot had helped put their things in her bedroom, excusing himself under the pretence of work when really, he didn't trust himself not to dig more holes.

"Alex?" Olivia's voice drifted through from the living room. The blonde quickly walked through, eager to help.

"I know we just got in, but...could you help me out of these? I still smell like a hospital." Olivia's nose crinkled slightly, and Alex thought it was the cutest face she'd seen Olivia make. _How could I resist anything she asked of me?_

"Come on," she said, helping the brunette to the bathroom. She pulled the scrub bottoms off first, figuring they'd be easiest; within seconds, Alex decided that it'd be easier to cut the top off. She tried not to let her mind drift to the bag containing Olivia's bloody clothes; Alex knew that the paramedics had cut the shirt Olivia had been wearing to access her wound. Starting a warm bath, she returned to the detective.

"Okay, don't move." Carefully, she lifted the bottom of the scrub top, careful of the bandages underneath which seemed to cover most of Olivia's upper body. She could sense the older woman tensing, holding her breath as she felt the scissors loosening the fabric around her. Finally, she was bare to the room, and to Alex. Even if she'd had her eyes closed, Olivia could have felt Alex's gaze on her; as intense as the one she'd experienced when she'd last been naked in front of the other woman, but not nearly as sexual. Alex seemed to be taking everything in, growing accustomed to this altered body. Olivia herself hadn't looked, though she wasn't particularly phased at the prospect. She knew gunshot scars could look nasty, but most of the damage had seemed to be internal and only people like Alex – _only people I want to see those wounds _– would know they were there. As it was, she waited for the blonde to finish, measuring her breaths and letting the younger woman take it all in.

Alex finally stopped, looking up. "Sorry, I-"

"Alex," she said, softly. "It's okay, it's a bit weird."

"Not at all. You're still Olivia, and I'm so glad you're here."

Standing, she helped Olivia into the bath, and washed the traces of blood and chemicals from the skin not covered by swathes of white. The task took a while, mainly because she was treating Olivia so carefully; but also because she'd noticed Olivia's breathing pick up, and her skin was slightly pinker than it had been. _She looks healthier already, _Alex thought, aware that the brunette was possibly aroused at the contact. _She's not the only one._ Seeing Olivia's body again – albeit, not complete and functioning as it had before – had sent Alex's thoughts all over the shop. Here, in her bathroom, was Olivia Benson, naked as the day she was born. _Stop it, Alex._

"Come on, time to dry you off."

As Alex finished her last task and wrapped Olivia in a towel, the brunette drew her into an unexpected hug.

"It's so good to finally hold you, Alex," she said, her voice slightly roughened with emotion. "I've waited so long just to do that."

As Alex returned the hug, she could feel slight tremors in the taller woman's body.

"How about you hold me in there?" she asked, gesturing to her bedroom.

"Why counsellor, what are you proposing?" Olivia joked, acknowledging her weakness and starting a slow walk down the corridor.

"You are incorrigible," Alex laughed, enunciating each word with a slight tap on the waist she had her arm around. Although they both knew that nothing other than sleep would be happening tonight, the joking tone was lightening the tension between them.

"Just you wait 'til I'm back to full strength, you won't know what hit you," Olivia said, as Alex eased her under the sheets. Already, the effort of moving had tired her out and before the blonde could reply, the detective was fast asleep.

"I'll hold you to that, Liv," she murmured, slipping into the bed and laying a protective arm across the brunette's smooth stomach. She could feel the roughened edge of the bandage against her skin, a rather unwelcome reminder of how weak Olivia was. Alex had been surprised at how easily she'd forgotten her life and her work once Olivia was hurt. She was passionate about her career, and enjoyed her job with the Special Victims Unit; though she had realised that working with Olivia was largely responsible for her commitment and drive to those assignments. Working with her had been inspiring to say the least, and Alex found herself wanting to care for Olivia in her moment of vulnerability, more than anything else in her life.

_These past few days have been a whirlwind of revelations_, she mused, growing tired just at the thought of them. Pushing everything to the back of her mind as best she could, she moved closer to the sleeping woman beside her, enjoying the steady rhythm of her breathing against her. The distance they'd had to endure in the hospital had left her frayed around the edges, and the mere presence of Olivia beside her was soothing.

"You make me feel whole just by being here," she whispered, smiling against Olivia's neck as she fell asleep next to the woman who had changed everything.


	9. Chapter 9

It had been three days since Olivia was released from hospital. Alex was due to return to work, and although she enjoyed working with Elliot, Munch and Fin, visiting the precinct didn't quite seem to hold the appeal it previously did. As she dressed for work, she voiced her displeasure to Olivia.

"Alex, you have to go back– Elliot says your replacement is driving everyone up the wall. Besides, I'm fine."

As if to prove her point, Olivia raised her right arm above her head, an exercise she'd been practicing daily. Alex was pleased to note that the move caused her little discomfort; she remembered how much pain the stubborn detective had been in during the first 48 hours after her release, and was glad that the worst of it seemed to have gone.

"Who says I want to stay to look after you? Do you know how long this day is going to be without you?" she asked, smiling, as she slipped her heels on. The ADA was resigned to her fate, though not without complaint. She knew she was being spoiled, but they'd spent so much time together that seeing through a whole day without Olivia would be odd to say the least.

"Cragen says I can go back in a couple of days. How about I meet you for lunch? I could do with getting out and stretching my legs a bit. Don't look so worried," she laughed, noting the look of concern on Alex's face. "I'll get El to drive me the longer stretches. He owes me one for taking his bullet."

Alex stepped closer, placing her hand over the point where the bullet in question had ripped through Olivia's chest. She never tired of feeling the strong beat of Olivia's heart; at night, she would rest her head there before she slept, letting the comforting sound send her to sleep. The detective placed her own hand over Alex's, the rough pad of her thumb caressing the elegant hand beneath her own.

"I'm fixed, sweetheart. It's okay." Both knew about the nightmares that interrupted Olivia's sleep now and again, but Alex decided not to bring them up. She exhaled shakily.

"See you at lunch, then?"

Olivia nodded, using her other hand to pull Alex's slim body close. "This will have to last you until then...and maybe tonight, instead of falling asleep early..."

The firm body holding her close was proving distracting for the attorney.

"Uhuh," she nodded, inhaling the clean smell of Olivia's perfume and feeling her heart rate pick up in response. She knew she wasn't really speaking words or making sense, but she couldn't have cared less.

"I can take care of you for a change," Olivia said, closing the remaining distance to meet Alex's lips with her own. She could hear and feel Alex's moan of approval, and once the blonde's mouth opened, slipped in her tongue to caress the other woman's. She could feel Alex's hips start to move slightly against her own, her fingers tugging at her belt loops; the floral scent of her shampoo invaded Olivia's senses as she ran a hand through the attorney's long golden hair, enjoying the feel of the silky strands against her slightly calloused fingertips. Alex in turn was playing with the hair at the nape of her neck, and the sensation was driving Olivia wild.

As their kiss grew more passionate, Alex gradually became aware of the fact that she was running late. She broke off, suddenly, leaving them both slightly breathless. Running a thumb over Olivia's swollen bottom lip, she pouted – prompting laughter from the older woman - and reached for her briefcase. As Olivia said goodbye at the door, she absently fingered the simple necklace – one of Olivia's own – a gift, to remind her of the woman who seemed to invade her every thought.

* * *

The SVU squadroom was surprisingly quiet. Though the media was still following developments in the Sloan case, the furore had died down somewhat, and focus had shifted – temporarily – to the killer's one surviving victim. Sloan himself had been questioned by SVU detectives frequently throughout the past few days, though he still refused to enlist the aid of an attorney. Huang was tasked with evaluating his mental capacity and whether Sloan would be able to represent himself in court. There was no doubt as to the man's arrogance; his disdain for figures of authority was evident, and he seemed to take special pleasure in pushing Stabler's buttons. Sloan's daily appearance at the 1-6 had grown into something of a routine, and Cragen was starting to suspect that he actually enjoyed it.

"No way in hell."

The captain's voice was raised enough to draw the attention of John Munch. Looking up from the case file on his desk, his head automatically tilted to one side as he tried to figure out what was going on. A few seconds later, George Huang stormed out of the office. Fin let out a low whistle as he leaned back in his chair – it took a lot to set Huang off, and the detective was pretty sure he'd never seen the man so angry. The partners both jumped slightly when Cragen loudly called them both into his office.

"What's up, Cap'n?" Fin stuck his hands in his pockets, unconsciously mirroring Munch. Both made a point of ignoring the mess of paperwork crowding the dark room.

"Sloan says he has a girl somewhere. I have no idea if he's telling the truth or not, but now he's refusing to talk to Huang."

"Let me take a crack at him," Fin said, already turning to leave the office. Cragen's sigh stopped him.

"He won't talk to anyone but Olivia."

"You have got to be shittin' me. Olivia's the last person he should be talking to."

"I know, but Huang thinks he may be telling the truth. I'm not sure I'm ready to risk the life of another girl to this man."

Munch turned as he heard Elliot's voice enter the squadroom. Accompanied by his partner, he looked happier than he had in days as he made jokes about a hickey on her neck.

"Liv," Fin said, following Munch's line of sight.

"You going to tell her?" Munch asked, his eyebrow raised.

Cragen sighed, loosening his tie.

"I don't have much of a choice."

* * *

"No way in hell."

Alex was unconsciously mimicking Cragen as she paced his office. She hadn't expected to be visiting the 1-6 so early in the day, but a call from Elliot had her cancelling her morning appointment and hailing a cab faster than she could say 'arraignment.'

"Is that your professional opinion, counselor?" Cragen's tone was sharp, but without malice. Alex stopped pacing to stare at him.

"What is going on between Olivia and I doesn't change the fact that you're sending one of your detectives in to talk with a man who is obsessed with her. What does Huang have to say about this? How can you be sure this isn't a ploy for attention? Where's his attorney? I'll bet he doesn't want anyone else in the room when he talks to her."

Cragen's head dipped. The situation was a moral dilemma for him, not made any easier by the attorney's logical questions.

"No, he doesn't. Look Alex, I know this isn't ideal. I'm as opposed to the idea as you are, but this is a chance I have to take. We know he's resourceful; what if he has another hiding place? Even if he left food and water for this girl, time is running out and I'm willing to take the risk."

Alex sighed, resigned to the fact that Olivia had probably already agreed to talk with Sloan. As if reading her thoughts, Cragen continued speaking.

"Olivia would never say no to something like this. She's talking to Huang now."

"I need to see her before she goes in there." Without waiting for a response, she stalked out of his office, heading directly for the stairs. As she reached the top, she slowed down slightly, watching the discussion Olivia was having with the psychiatrist. She knew that the doctor would be as concerned as she was for Olivia's wellbeing, and for that she was glad.

"Alex," the detective said, surprised by her presence – she hadn't even heard the other woman ascend the stairs. "I'm sorry I couldn't call you myself, Elliot said he would get in touch."

"Hey, it's okay. Are you sure you're alright with this?" Alex laid a hand on Olivia's forearm, trying to communciate without words how unhappy she was with the situation.

"I have to do this, Alex. If there's a chance we can find another girl, whether I'm alright with it or not doesn't really come into play."

Huang excused himself, realising that the two women needed to be alone for a minute.

"I'm going to be in the next room. If he says a word out of place, I think Elliot's ready to rip his head off," she said, laughing slightly to alleviate the tension. "Honestly? I don't want him even looking at you, never mind talking to you. But I trust you, Liv."

The side of Olivia's mouth quirked upwards, as she drew Alex in for a kiss. It was short and sweet, and it calmed the detective's nerves; pulling away, she whispered,

"Knowing you're in that room with me...even behind a mirror...is what's going to keep me sane. Thank you for keeping me safe, Alex."

Without a backwards glance, Olivia descended the stairs at a quick pace, barely stopping at her desk to pick up her badge. As Alex followed her towards the observation room, she watched as the detective clipped her badge onto her belt and slipped into a confident swagger the attorney hadn't seen in far too long. Even if the confidence was all for show, Alex had a feeling that Sloan was going to regret asking for this meeting. The ADA felt a swell of pride.

_That's my girl._


	10. Chapter 10

The slam of the door made Alex jump. Cragen looked at her sideways, but the other men in the room were so absorbed in the activity on the other side of the one-way mirror that they didn't notice. The tension was palpable; all of them looking out for signs that an intervention would be necessary. Alex held a lot of respect for these men, especially since they looked out for Olivia so well, and she felt a little more at ease knowing they'd step in if necessary. However, that still couldn't quite extinguish the fear that had set her on edge.

The ADA watched, hardly even daring to blink, as Olivia stood behind the empty chair with her arms folded.

"Hello, Mr Sloan."

Sloan smiled, genuinely happy – or so it seemed. It made Alex queasy, a feeling she often experienced when faced with paedophiles and serial rapists. But what set Sloan apart was how calm and collected he seemed. _And the fact that he stalked and shot the woman I love. That definitely doesn't help._ Alex had realised days ago that she wouldn't be allowed to prosecute Sloan, something for which she was as relieved as she was annoyed. The attorney wanted nothing more than to help put him behind bars, but she knew that her professionalism would be called into question and her relationship with Olivia would be targeted. Their new intimacy was something she'd fight to protect.

"It's good to see you, Detective Benson."

"He feels in control of the situation. He got what he wanted." Huang spoke from the back of the room.

"Yeah, and don't we know it," muttered Stabler, clearly unhappy about his partner sharing four walls with the creep.

Alex couldn't judge Olivia's expression since her back was to the mirror but she could see from the set of her shoulders that she was just as tense as the ADA felt. When she spoke, however, her voice was strong and betrayed no sign of her nerves.

"I'm not sure I can say the same for you."

"Why the cold tone, Olivia? If it's about me shooting you...I'm sorry, I really am. You just got in the way. I'd never hurt you, you mean too much to me."

His smarmy attitude, and the nature of his apology, turned Alex's stomach. Her disgust was mirrored by Stabler, whose clenched fist was resting on the ledge.

"I'm not here to talk about that. Where's the girl?" Olivia had started pacing her half of the room, hands on her hips.

"What happened to Tina?"

Olivia stopped. "The little girl who was in your apartment?"

Sloan nodded. "She was quite a screamer, probably the loudest one I've had."

Olivia's jaw clenched as she held in her anger. She drew a deep breath and once again, her tone was even when she spoke. Alex was in awe of the control she was exerting over herself, and the situation. She knew that Olivia often talked to very disturbed people, and she also knew that she wouldn't like to share a room with one, alone.

"Mr Sloan, I'm not here to talk about Tina."

"Oh, but I'd like to."

"He's getting cocky," Munch said, as Sloan stretched his arms and locked his fingers behind his head.

"He wants to relive the glory of his crimes with Olivia. He's showing off," Huang said, casting a wary eye on Stabler, who looked like he was ready to punch a hole through the glass.

"Tell me, did you turn into a sick fuck or were you born that way?" Coming through the speakers, Olivia's voice sounded slightly tinny but nobody could miss the undercurrent of disgust running through her words. It did the trick; Sloan's arms returned to his sides and the smug grin on his face faded.

"Olivia-"

"Detective Benson," Olivia said, correcting him instantly.

Sloan stopped talking. He regarded Olivia coolly, unsure of his footing.

"You raped and murdered little girls, you piece of shit. Stop playing games and tell me where she is," Olivia was almost shouting, disregarding Sloan's change in posture and sudden silence. She leaned across the table, staring into his eyes. Still, he didn't speak; his lips were pressed firmly together, as if physically preventing words from escaping.

"Tell me where she is," she ground out, slamming the palm of her hand against the table top. Sloan flinched.

"That's it, isn't it? You don't like being made to look weak by a woman. You're a coward. Going after little girls like that...did that make you feel like a man?"

All of a sudden, there was a flurry of activity. Alex wouldn't be able to remember what happened first: Huang's cry of alarm, Elliot running for the door, or Sloan headbutting Olivia. The attorney watched in horror as the detective fell to the floor, unconscious; Sloan jumped up from his chair and onto the table, landing on her and kicking her wherever he could. He got a few blows in before Stabler barreled through the door, tackling Sloan to the ground and purposely smacking his head off the floor.

Realising she was rooted to the spot, Alex blinked rapidly, then ran through to Olivia. Huang was checking her pulse and Cragen had called for an ambulance; they gave her some space to hold Olivia's hand, and she watched, from the floor, as the three other detectives dragged Sloan into a holding cell. Stabler shot Cragen a look as he passed, but wisely decided against saying anything.

Alex returned her attention to Olivia, who was lying on her side, one arm carelessly flung out beneath her; Alex knew her stitches had probably ripped but was more concerned about the cut on her head, which was bleeding profusely.

"Head wounds always look worse than they are," Huang said, trying to reassure her. Alex nodded, dumbly, as she ran a shaking hand through Olivia's hair.

"Liv....Liv, wake up sweetie."

The prone woman didn't move.

"Liv, come on now. Please, open your eyes." Alex tried to keep her tone quiet but she was worried by the lack of response.

Elliot re-entered the room to check on his partner.

"Is she okay?"

Nobody spoke. Then, to their collective relief, Olivia's eyes fluttered open and she groaned. Alex gently pushed her down as she attempted to sit up, confused about what was going on.

"Wha.."

"Hey, hey – easy there Detective," Alex smiled, eyes brimming with tears as she resumed her touch through Olivia's hair. "Lie still for a minute, you just got the shit kicked out of you."

"That'd explain a lot," Olivia said, wincing as the pain started to register. "I really pushed his buttons, didn't I?"

Huang nodded. "Given the way he was acting, I suspect he wouldn't have told you. He just wanted to relive his glory days. When he realised you weren't impressed, he flipped."

"Is that the technical term?" Olivia joked, trying to make light of the situation.

Elliot knew she was trying to cover up her disappointment for Alex's benefit.

"Don't worry, Liv. If she's out there, we'll find her." Stabler could hear Cragen giving Munch and Fin orders in the squadroom. "Talking of which..." he trailed off, unsure of what to say.

"It's okay, El. You should get started...we need to find her."

"We?" Alex quickly joined the conversation.

"Alex, I can't sit back and watch." She held Alex's eyes, refusing to back down. She moved to sit up again, but this time she was determined and managed to get her way. Briefly closing her eyes against the dizziness, she opened them to see concerned blue ones gazing back at her.

"Please, Alex...I have to help." Alex was still considering her options – whether to challenge Olivia or to accept what was pretty much inevitable - when the EMTs arrived. She sighed, heavily.

"Okay, Liv. But only if you get checked out first. And as long as Cragen is alright with it. Deal?"

"I love it when you speak lawyer."

Alex leaned in. "And I love you," she whispered, aware of their audience. "I have to let you know that before I don't get the chance."

"I'll be around for a while," Olivia said, squeezing Alex's hand. She leaned on the slim blonde as Alex helped her up, and took a moment to rest her head on the ADA's shoulder, breathing in the comforting scent of her floral perfume. It helped clear her mind of Sloan and the memories of his victims; and made her temporarily forget the throbbing in her head and shoulder. _Like my own private painkiller_.

"I'm counting on it, Detective. After the stress you've put me through these last few days, I think you owe me dinner."


	11. Chapter 11

"Updates?" Cragen loosened his tie again, feeling suitably frazzled. After Sloan's interrogation that morning, the squad room had been a flurry of activity. The phones never seemed to stop ringing and he'd dug out his supply of emergency aspirin, feeling the mother of all headaches coming on. He was waiting for an update on Olivia but for the meantime, Cragen's focus was finding the missing girl.

Fin flipped open his notepad. "Landlord said that Sloan was hardly ever in the building; but he always paid rent on time, so he didn't ask any questions."

"Have we got a list of previous addresses?"

"Yes, and the last two landlords say the same thing – they barely saw him, but he was always polite and never gave them any trouble."

"He must have another place," Elliot said, rummaging through the avalanche of paperwork on his desk. He'd been looking through the database for children registered missing in the last week, but was having difficulties narrowing his search.

"It's got to be somewhere accessible; his victims have all been from within our jurisdiction." Cragen turned his attention to the map, locations of the bodies and their home addresses marked by different coloured pins.

Huang chipped in. "The turnaround on his crimes is fast. Melissa Woodson was taken and found within a 24-hour period. He placed the body somewhere he knew it would be found relatively quickly; the fact that he was outside Woodson's apartment so soon after his death suggests he was watching the place closely. I'd also check the area where Olivia lives; he'd want to be close to her." His phone rang, and Huang stepped out of the room to take the call.

"Okay, we're going to send uniforms on a door-to-door with his picture in those areas, see if that comes up with anything."

"Chances are he's got numerous different identities," Munch said. "There's a print hit on a cold case out of town, I've left a voicemail with the FBI agent in charge but he's away at a conference this week."

"Great," sighed Cragen, frustrated at the slow rate of progress. Huang re-entered the room.

"I just got off the phone with Presbyterian; Sloan's CT scan came up with something."

"CT scan?"

"He passed out on his way back, probably from when he hit the floor." Elliot didn't look sorry and Huang didn't dwell on the point. "They took one as a precaution and something's come up. I'm going to check it out."

"Keep me posted," Cragen said, but the doctor was already on his way out of the door.

"Elliot, find out where those photos of Olivia were printed. Munch and Fin, interview any work colleagues you can, see if they know anything about him. Sloan sounds like a bit of a dark horse but if he's as hubristic as I hope he is, he may have let something slip to one of them. Divide and conquer, people."

Elliot's cell rang out, and he answered it after the first ring.

"Stabler," he barked, still sifting through files on his desk, this time to find the pictures of Olivia.

"She's okay? Yeah, that doesn't surprise me. What did the doctor say? I'll ask."

Putting his hand over the mouthpiece, Elliot told Cragen that Olivia wanted to help with the search. The Captain didn't look too pleased but, needing all the help he could get, decided to send both Alex and Olivia to interview Sloan's cellmate.

"You know how to get there? Sure, alright. Good luck."

Stabler hung up his phone and slipped on his suit jacket, picking up the photos of his partner as he left. It felt like they were grasping at straws, especially since the reporter knew enough about police investigations to cover his tracks. Sloan's downfall was Olivia - his one weak spot – and Elliot hoped that would be enough.

* * *

The interrogation of Sloan's cellmate, Duarte Jimenez, had tired Olivia out. Once again, Alex was in awe of the detective, who was currently sleeping in the passenger seat. Though she'd been in pain, it hadn't been obvious; her command of Spanish was good but not good enough to get an answer out of the prisoner. Chances were that Sloan didn't speak Spanish anyway, and Jimenez's grasp of English was minimal. They'd wasted a frustrating two hours getting to and from the prison, and the events of the morning had finally caught up with the older woman.

As they stopped at a red light, Alex reached over to make sure Olivia was warm enough, and was so caught up in looking at her that it was only a car honking behind them which alerted her to the changing signal. Olivia jolted awake at the sound, obviously a bit disoriented. She touched the stitches on her head, which were starting to hurt.

"Want some painkillers? They're in my jacket pocket."

The detective found them and took them without water, tilting her head back and closing her eyes again.

"You can take them like that?"

Opening one eye, Olivia laughed softly. "I've got it down to a fine art."

Alex knew that Olivia's job could be dangerous, a fact driven home by the events of the past week. Before, she'd been horrified when Olivia had been hurt but was forced to limit her involvement in the detective's wellbeing – it would have been strange otherwise. Now, she was free to voice her concerns, and when Olivia came back battered and bruised, she was there to pick up the pieces. In a way, it made her worry less.

Her phone rang, jarring her from her thoughts. She put it onto loudspeaker and soon Elliot's voice filled the car.

"How did you get on?"

"It was a no go, El. He could barely speak English," said Olivia, eyes still closed.

They could both hear him sigh down the line. "Well, I found out where he made those prints of you, Liv. A place called Picture Perfect."

Olivia's eyes suddenly opened. "That's just down the street from me." She and Alex looked at each other simultaneously.

"He never had any pictures of the vics developed, otherwise we'd have been alerted to them. Just pictures of you. It's like he was leaving a hint. He's playing with us, Liv."

"Any luck with the canvassing?"

"Just waiting to hear back now. Huang's gone to see Sloan in hospital, apparently he blacked out."

Alex's eyebrow rose as she remembered the force with which Stabler had attacked the man. "Did anything interesting come up on his medical records? Unusual illnesses, that kind of thing?" she said.

"Why?"

"Even if he's got multiple identities, they'll all still have the same health issues. It's a long shot, I know, but check it out."

"Will do. Thanks, Alex." He hung up, and silence was restored. The blonde realised Olivia was staring at her.

"What?" she asked, feeling slightly self-conscious.

"I forget, you're smart as well as beautiful," Olivia said, openly admiring the other woman.

"What kind of pills did you take?" Alex laughed, reaching over to rub Olivia's right knee. The detective's hand came down on top of hers, interlinking their fingers.

"Hey, I just call it as I see it. Would it be okay if I went to pick some things up from my apartment?"

"And canvass the neighbourhood, knowing you."

Olivia smirked. "You know me too well, counselor. I just need to give it a shot." This time, the detective was deadly serious. Alex nodded, remembering why they'd gone to visit Duarte Jimenez in the first place.

"Only if you let me help."

"But what about your appointments?"

"After this morning, I cleared my schedule for the day. They're trying not to give me too much at the moment anyway; besides, this is the major SVU case, I'm sure they can't disagree with my involvement."

"Ah, but they might do if they find out who you're helping," Olivia sighed.

"If they take issue, they're going to have one hell of an argument on their hands, Liv." Alex spoke quietly but Olivia was in no doubt as to the veracity of her statement. She gave the hand within hers a gentle squeeze and returned her gaze to the world rushing past her window.


	12. Chapter 12

AN: thank you so much for your feedback so far, it's guided me with this story and helped me keep to some kind of schedule! As a thank you to all those who have reviewed – especially LOCISVU, Kendra23 and SilkpoetV – this chapter is longer than the last few  As a whole, this story wasn't meant to be very long at all, but it's quickly turned into my biggest piece of writing yet and I feel it's ready to draw to a close – I could easily go on for far too long! Anyway, I hope you enjoy it; let me know what you think!

* * *

"Would you like a coffee? I'm going to grab a quick shower," said Olivia as she opened the door to her apartment, plucking at her shirt as if she couldn't wait to divest herself of it. She flipped on the lights, realising just how dark it was outside.

"Sure, I think we'll need some caffeine to keep us going this evening," Alex said, tiring herself out just by thinking of the daunting task ahead. Somewhere in the city, a girl was stashed away – alive, or dead, nobody knew – and they needed to find her. If not to save her life, then at least for closure. The ADA knew that was just as important for the families, and the detectives; the thought that she may remain hidden and undiscovered was saddening.

"Kettle's through there," Olivia said, shedding her jacket slowly. She was aching but a hot shower would help. "Make yourself at home."

Alex nodded. "Give me a shout if you need a hand in there."

Olivia thought of taking the beautiful blonde up on her offer, but was resigned to the fact that there were more pressing issues at hand. The pace she and Alex had established seemed to work so far; if anything, she was worried about what would happen once the pressures of this case had lessened. She shook her head, shedding her jeans on her bedroom floor, and waited until she heard Alex reaching for coffee cups before she entered the bathroom. _It's nice to have someone else here, _she thought, realising that she and Alex hadn't spent much time apart in the last week or so.

As Alex heard the sound of running water, she left the freshly made coffee to cool and took the opportunity to look around Olivia's apartment. At work, the detective's private life was kept just that – private – and part of the woman's appeal had been her mystery. In some respects, the brunette still _was_ a mystery that Alex couldn't wait to unravel. As she walked the length of the room, her fingers encountered the corners of photo frames; a cream lampshade; a small pile of newspapers and unopened bills. Although she wasn't taking every detail in, the attorney was getting a feel for the place, and after a few minutes, she decided that it was definitely an _Olivia _kind of place. Even the smell – clean, comforting – was just like the brooding detective. Alex wondered if the victims saw Olivia the same way she did; it would explain how they found it easy to take comfort in her presence. As she heard the water stop, Alex returned to the kitchen to collect their coffees before heading to what she assumed was Olivia's bedroom.

_Aha..._

The detective was towelling herself dry, rummaging in her closet for clean clothes.

"I think I remembered how you like it," Alex said, finding somewhere safe to put their mugs.

"Thanks," said Olivia, somewhat absently, cursing as she reached for some shoes.

"Here, let me."

The blonde gently pushed Olivia towards the bed as she reached for the offending footwear.

"Still a bit stiff?"

"Yeah," said the detective, running a hand through her cropped hair in defeat. She sat on the bed.

"If you think we can spare ten minutes or so...I could sort that for you."

Olivia raised an eyebrow.

Alex blushed as she explained. "Well, since you're not dressed yet...it makes sense for me to give you a massage now, rather than later." Olivia smirked at the sight of Alex's pink cheeks, feeling slightly guilty at finding the attorney's uncharacteristic fumble for words amusing.

"Sure, if that's okay."

There was barely a foot of space between them once the brunette stood, keeping eye contact with Alex as she dropped her towel. Alex struggled to keep her eyes above a certain level, and was sure that Olivia was finding the situation amusing. Neither of them said a word as Olivia turned, then moved carefully to lie on her stomach, fluffing up a pillow as she laid herself out for Alex. _Your turn, Counselor._

The attorney was sure her gulp was audible but it was too late to turn back. _You asked for this, Cabot. _Taking a deep breath, she moved onto the bed; the dip of the mattress under her knees made it difficult to move with any kind of grace, and she struggled to keep her balance. She risked a look at the woman lying on the bed – Olivia's eyes were closed, her mouth turned up in a slight smile. _Here goes nothing..._

In one movement, she moved her leg over Olivia, effectively straddling her. She didn't miss the sudden intake of breath from the body beneath her, and it gave her confidence. _You find this so funny, huh, Benson? Two can play that game. _She made quick work of Olivia's lower back muscles, moving her way up to tanned shoulders and making a mental note of the scars she encountered. After a few minutes of working on a particularly tense spot on Olivia's left shoulder, she felt, and heard, the other woman's deep groan of approval. She could also feel the hips beneath her move slightly, and Alex wondered if Olivia realised what she was doing. Her fingers made their way back down, only this time, they trailed along the edge of the torso beneath her; feeling the strong muscles of Olivia's shoulders give way to the gentle bumps of her ribs, then the soft skin at the side of her breasts.

Olivia breathed in sharply again, unable to stop her body's reactions to Alex's touch. She soon realised that the attorney was teasing her, keeping her touch light and doing nothing to help the fire that seemed to have ignited low in her belly.

"Let me flip," she murmured, annoyed that she wasn't agile enough to move quickly. As she felt Alex's slight weight lift, she turned over. Her hands reached for the blonde's slim waist, tugging slightly at her sweater to bring their mouths together.

"Want something?" Alex said.

"You know damn well what I want," Olivia said softly, shifting her hips for emphasis. She grinned as she felt Alex straddle her fully, her deceptively strong thighs pinning her to the bed. _Not that I'm complaining..._

"Just a kiss, Detective. Otherwise we'll never get out of here."

"Of course," Olivia smiled, knowing she'd get her wish. Alex laughed at the Cheshire Cat grin, knowing full well that trying to withstand Olivia's charm was pointless. Olivia Benson was one big weak spot, and one that she'd succumb to again, and again. As they kissed, the blonde could feel warm hands slide smoothly under her sweater, and she gasped, arching into the touch. Before she knew it, Olivia was guiding her arms through her sweater sleeves, throwing the item across the room.

"C'mere," Olivia said, meeting Alex with a kiss as her nimble fingers started to undo the zipper on the blonde's skirt. The feel of Olivia's fingers on her skin was making it hard for Alex to keep track of what was going on, and she broke off the kiss to deal with her skirt herself. Resuming her previous position, she leant down to kiss Olivia again, running her fingers through the short hair; Olivia's hands were now reaching around her back to unclasp her bra, and then...

The phone rang.

Olivia's head fell back against the pillow, as she caught her breath. "Goddamnit," she cursed, realising that they'd got carried away and that it was, in fact, her phone that was ringing. Alex, still looking a little flustered, had the presence of mind to find the device, which was still in the pocket of Olivia's jeans.

"Benson." Olivia spoke curtly into the phone

"Liv...Sloan's dead."

That got her attention. Sitting up, she put the phone on speaker so Alex could hear Elliot.

"What killed him?" Alex's attention was now also fully occupied, and she looked at Olivia questioningly.

"He had a bleed in his brain, a subdural hematoma. It came up on the CT scan but he died before they could do anything about it."

"Shit." Alex sighed.

"They also found a tumour. It's rare, and he was probably prescribed some pretty strong meds for the pain. Munch just left to check out the pill bottles in his apartment, see if he used any other names. But without chemo, his days were numbered."

"So he had nothing to lose."

"Explains a lot. We're trying to notify his brother, apparently both parents are dead and he lives in the city. But talking of heads...how's yours?" Elliot tried to lighten the tone a bit.

"As solid as ever, El," said Olivia, smiling slightly. "We were just about to check out that photo place, see if the manager knows anything about him."

"Be careful," Elliot said, disliking the fact that his partner was still working when she should have been resting. With Alex there, however, he knew Olivia would take care not to put them in harm's way. _And she might stop Liv going off anywhere without backup._

"Will do, El. I'll call you if we find anything."

* * *

"I've never seen that man before."

Olivia was exasperated. "Are you sure?" she asked, showing the manager Sloan's mug shot one more time.

"Yes, I'm sure. Pardon the reference, but I have a photographic memory."

Olivia sighed. The man was being polite and helpful, but she was getting nowhere. Alex's hand on her elbow helped calm her somewhat.

"Do you have a security camera? We'd like to see who picked up the photos." The attorney was polite and calm, though she knew that some poor soul would have to sit through the tapes. At least they had a rough idea of when, since the manager kept meticulous records of when each film was processed.

Just as he was about to lead them through the back, the bell above the door chimed and a tall, stocky man entered. Though he was wrapped up in a long winter coat, Olivia could tell he worked out; she also noticed how his eyes locked onto her badge, and the recognition that slowly dawned when he looked up towads her face. Suddenly alert, she waited for him to make eye contact with her, and a split second later, she knew he was going to run.

"Ah, you're in luck! This is him." As the manager commented on their good fortune, Derek Sloan turned and ran. Olivia was out the door almost as quickly, shouting back at Alex to stay put. The attorney watched as Olivia pelted out of the door, past the shop window. _I'll be damned if I'm going to stay here._ Reaching for her car keys, she threw out a thank you as she also left the shop, running towards her car as best she could in her heels.

Soon enough, she found Olivia, who was starting to lag slightly. It was unsurprising, given how badly she'd been injured; no doubt the adrenaline had started to wear off. She honked the horn, pulling alongside the detective and rolling down the passenger window.

"Get in!" she shouted, trying to keep an eye on the perp and other traffic. Thankfully, there were hardly any other cars around.

Olivia looked grateful for the ride and got in as quickly as she could.

"What happened to staying put?" she panted, gasping at the pain in her chest. Not waiting for an answer, she completed her radio call to dispatch, asking for backup.

"Damn, he's quick," Alex muttered, as the man in question turned down a side alley. She braked, trying to see where Sloan was running in the dim light of the winter evening. Luckily, the light above a restaurant's delivery entrance helped confirm that he was running straight through.

"Shit." Olivia realised where he'd gone, and moved to get out of the car, but her body refused. She groaned in pain. Alex accelerated.

"Liv, don't move. I'll just cut him off at the other side." Olivia relayed their location to the dispatcher, realising that she couldn't do anything to stop him. Completely ignoring a red light, and once again thanking whichever God was responsible for the light traffic, Alex merged onto the next road, then threw another left. Ahead, they could see their perp slow and then stop, looking behind and around him for any sign of pursuit. Apparently satisfied that he'd shaken Olivia, he was in for a shock when a red and blue cruiser pulled up directly in front of him, parking haphazardly. The uniforms inside had their weapons drawn before he could even think of a direction to run in.

"Don't move a muscle, Liv. I'll be right back." Alex's authoritative tone left no room for discussion, and Olivia settled back into her seat, turning on the heat in the car. She watched as Alex walked over to the arresting officers, slipping on her gloves against the cold night air. Her breath fogged as she spoke, and Olivia was entranced by it; sitting in the warmth had made her realise just how tired she was. Their evening wasn't over yet, though. Flipping her cell open, she called Elliot.

"Stabler." He sounded frustrated.

"El, we have something. We just caught the guy developing Sloan's pictures. What are the odds it's his brother and that he was in on the whole thing?" Her enthusiasm was infectious; sheer luck had provided the biggest break in the case yet.

"Where does he live?" Elliot sounded much more awake.

"Alex is just getting a note of his address. Wait...yeah, here she is."

Alex had re-entered the car, and took Olivia's phone. Reciting the name and address to Elliot, she hung up and started the engine.

"Ready, Detective?" The blonde was smiling, for at last there was light at the end of the tunnel. If Derek Sloan had been holding the girl captive, chances were that she was alive.

"As ever. Though I think I owe you two dinners, now."

Alex laughed, the light sound filling the space of the car and doing something funny to Olivia's insides. "I'll hold you to that."

* * *

There were squad cars already parked outside by the time Alex and Olivia arrived, and they could both see Stabler outside the building. Once Alex had parked, Olivia eased her way out of the car; though her short run had done her no good, she could at least breathe properly again. Alex held open the door for her, silently offering assistance just by being there. Though Olivia again refused it, she showed her appreciation by a quick squeeze of the blonde's shoulder as they both walked towards Elliot.

"Scene is clear, they've just taken her to the hospital." He looked grim but definitely less stressed since the last time Olivia had seen him.

"Is she okay?" She asked, wishing she could have spoken to the victim.

"She was in pretty bad shape. He left her food and water but there are signs of assault. She didn't wake up when they loaded her onto the bus, so nobody's had a chance to speak to her."

Olivia nodded. That would come later, and she was hesitant to let Alex see that side of her work. Speaking to traumatised victims – especially children – so soon after the event was something she did on a regular basis, and yet she still found it difficult every time.

"Ah, there you are."

Both women turned at the sound of Cragen's voice. He looked as if the weight of the world had been lifted from his shoulders.

"We're still waiting for CSU, and I'm about to send Elliot to the hospital. You did good, both of you."

"Thanks, Cap." Olivia smiled when Alex reached for her hand and gave it a supportive squeeze.

"There's going to be a lot of waiting around, why don't you head home? Olivia, you look a little peaky."

"She went running after him, Don. I've never seen anyone move so fast," Alex said, smiling as Olivia dipped her head.

"I'll bet that hurt," he commented, knowing his detective would never admit to it. Sure enough, she said nothing but sent him a muted glare. He chuckled.

"Go home. Alex, look after her for me, will you?"

The blonde nodded, happy to see that Cragen was in a much better mood. He tipped his flat cap towards them, before heading to speak to Elliot. Alex almost jumped when she felt Olivia's head come to rest on her shoulder.

"I forgot my gloves," she murmured, obviously cold and tired.

"I noticed that. C'mere," Alex said, opening her jacket and facing her lover. Olivia's arms wrapped around her waist and the ADA winced as she felt just how cold those hands were. The detective's head was resting on her shoulder again, and so absorbed was she in enjoying this moment with Olivia that it took her a moment to notice the change in weather.

A snowflake landed on her nose, and she looked up towards the sky to see flecks of white slowly drifting towards them.

"Liv," she whispered, speaking into the other woman's ear. "It's snowing."

Olivia raised her head, following Alex's line of sight. Unbidden, a tear spilled over her right cheek. She was exhausted, and in pain; but the heat of Alex keeping her warm and the beauty of the snow overrode everything.

"It's like it makes everything clean," Alex said, finally looking at Olivia.

"You're crying, Liv. What's wrong?" she asked worriedly, taking off a glove to run her thumb down the tear-stained cheek when Olivia turned to her.

"For once in my life...absolutely nothing. I love you," she whispered, ducking her head slightly as she kissed Alex, the warmth they shared isolating them from the cold outside. Snow fell around them as blue and red lights lit the street; the noise of the world was somehow muted as they ignored the existence of everything else in that moment. It was perfect.


End file.
